Perfect Timing
by HawkofNavarre
Summary: Permanently discontinued due to lack of reader interest. Don't read this anyway. It's atrocious.
1. Broken Ice

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Bleach, I would kick the anime scriptwriters in the head for making Ichigo so OOC at the end of the Hueco Mundo arc. That SO DID NOT happen. Er, so, yup, I don't own Bleach, nor do I own a fair amount of this chapter's plot.

**Summary:** HitsuHina xXx Ep. 60 alteration: She struggled to keep her composure although nobody else was around, praying that he would open his glowing green eyes. "Just wake up, please…" **(Summary edited, AGAIN. I can't seem to find one that satisfies me...)**

**Pairings:** Hitsugaya x Hinamori, one-sided Matsumoto x Ichimaru, implied Ichigo x Rukia

**Genres:** Romance, angst, drama, and slight humour if you squint.

**Author's Note:** Hello, I hope someone's reading this… XD Anyhow, this first chapter was more or less taken from the anime, though I made quite a few changes. Also, I did most of this from memory, so if it's not perfect…well, I'm not expecting it to be. The time I watched episode 60 and read those manga chapters was a LONG time ago. I've been dwelling on this idea for maybe...over half a year now, so I really want this story to be successful, although honestly, I'm really nervous about posting it... Anyhow, please enjoy the first chapter!

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**Perfecting Timing** by HawkofNavarre

**Chapter 1**_** – Broken Ice**_

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"W-what the hell happened here?" Hitsugaya choked out in disbelief. The Central 46… Dead. Every single one of them was…dead.

"Taicho… How is this even possible?" his Fukutaicho asked, equally as shocked, absorbing the scene with wide eyes.

Blood stained the room everywhere. It was a sight that Hitsugaya wanted to forget, but there were reasons he could not. What kind of insane conspiracy was this? _Every person in this room who had one been on the Central 46 was __**dead.**_ Who could of killed them? Was it Gin? The short captain could not take that sly smile out of his mind. He knew that Ichimaru was hiding something, and now he _had_ to find out—especially because he'd almost hurt Hinamori.

Hitsugaya glanced at Matsumoto worriedly. She was biting her lip and he could see her knuckles turning white due to grasping the hilt of her zanpakutou so tightly. This was probably affecting her more that it was himself. Hitsugaya knew of the close bonds she shared with the captain of the third division.

"This is… crazy," he commented lowly, at a loss for words. There was absolutely nothing that could describe how totally out of control this was becoming. It was frustrating being right in the middle of it.

The silver-haired prodigy took a step closer to one of the tables. He swiped his index finger across one of the pools of blood and rubbed it against his thumb. The crimson substance crumbled to the ground. That could only mean one thing in Hitsugaya's mind.

"It's dry, to the point where it turns black and crumbles. They've already been dead for at least two days," Hitsugaya observed aloud. This was becoming more and more screwed up by the minute.

_What the __**hell**__ is going on here?_ _Matsumoto and I were the ones who broke in, so how…?_

_How is everyone dead?!_

"You mean…"

"Yes," the tenth captain answered calmly, although he was feeling much more frantic than he sounded, "every decision passed down by the Central 46 recently, has been nothing more than a fake!"

Matsumoto let out a sharp breath, as if she hadn't wanted to admit that to herself. "Then Kuchiki's execution, and…"

He nodded. "Now the question is _who_ could have done this _and_ controlled the decisions passed by the so-called 'Central 46.'"

"Hello, Hitsugaya-Taicho, Matsumoto-Fukutaicho,"

The two who held the highest rankings of tenth division, standing in the middle of the deep room, turned back to the entrance. The person who stood there was a male with blond hair, part of it covering half of his face.

"Kira! Was it you who did this?" Hitsugaya demanded before he could stop himself, though he was not really expecting an answer.

The vice-captain of the third division only faced the other direction and walked out the door.

"Wait!" he called though it had no effect. "Damn it!" The young shinigami flash-stepped up the stairs and dashed after Kira, his lieutenant trailing after him.

-

_I don't understand…_ Hinamori thought desperately. She had been a mess ever since her captain had died. They'd tried to lock her in the fourth division while she had been unconscious, but as a master of Kidou, she'd gotten out easily. Evading the seated officers of the healing division was a whole other matter, though Hinamori had escaped without difficulties in that area as well.

The vice-captain was thoroughly confused. Aizen-Taicho had written in his letter that Hitsugaya was the one that killed him. Her captain never lied, so it just had to be her childhood friend behind this!

_He was the one that murdered Aizen-Taicho, but then…why was Hitsugaya-kun surprised when he saw the Central 46?_ She had to wonder that. Matsumoto was just as shocked, if not more, and Hinamori was certain that whoever had done this must have had an accomplice.

"Nice'ta see ya, Hinamori-Fukutaicho," greeted a familiar voice.

She whirled around quickly. "I-Ichimaru-Taicho! I was not aware that you were here,"

"S'okay. Come with me, will ya? There's someone I want ya ta meet," Ichimaru told her cheerfully, a wide and scary smile upon his face. With that, he turned and walked away, expecting her to follow.

Hinamori remembered Hitsugaya's warning, but dismissed it without hesitation. She could not trust his word anymore. The fifth division lieutenant stalked after Ichimaru Gin.

-

Catching up to Kira was proving to be more difficult than Hitsugaya had originally thought. Sure, he could run fast enough to keep up with the guy, but he didn't think he could stop him with sheer sprinting power alone. They we now travelling the rooftops of Seritei, and he and Matsumoto had to stop him _somehow_. He'd wanted to save reiatsu at first, just in case he'd have to fight using full strength, though shunpo now seemed like the only option.

He silently signalled Matsumoto with his left hand, flicking it softly behind him, and he was certain she'd seen it. Concentrating just enough of his spiritual energy into his feet to get in front of Kira, he stopped the running vice-captain in his tracks.

"Kira, tell us what we want to know," the young Taicho demanded calmly. The blond didn't seem to be affected. His eyes lay still, unfazed, unmoving.

"Don't you have something better to do than interrogate me, Hitsugaya-Taicho?" asked Ichimaru's lieutenant casually. Hitsugaya did not like the way this was going. "Shouldn't you be worrying about Hinamori-Fukutaicho instead of me?"

He felt it.

Hitsugaya's blue-green orbs widened in panic. He could _feel _her reiatsu nearby, spiking just slightly before it was masked again. His heart was beating so heavily he could hear it in his head.

It was moving. Hinamori was heading somewhere… She was heading to—the Seijoutou-Kyorin! Why was she going there? Had Aizen told her to? —No, Aizen was dead! _Damn it!_

For a split second, it felt hard to breathe as panic washed over the silver-haired boy. No, he had to focus. Hinamori could get hurt if he didn't go at that moment. Without a so much as a regard to Kira, Hitsugaya took off once again, gaining and breaking eye contact with his own vice-captain for just an instant. She knew what to do.

Reiatsu didn't even matter to him anymore. He had to get to her, and shunpo was the quickest way. _Stupid Bed-Wetter Momo…_ he thought as he rushed in her direction. _You'd better not get hurt._

-

Rangiku flipped a lock of her strawberry-blonde hair over her shoulder. Kira was one of her closest friends, yet she had no idea why he was doing what he was. A faint breeze passed by the two of them, and she watched the hair that lay over his left eye sway just slightly. The tension was thick in the air as the two vice-captains stared at each other. Matsumoto wanted to know what he was thinking. His face was so indifferent while she glared at him through nearly spiteful eyes. She wanted to know—_what was going on?_

"You shouldn't glare, Matsumoto-san. You look much better when you're smiling," he commented casually, still glancing at her through his emotionless orbs.

"Why are you doing this, Kira?" she asked, ignoring his statement.

"I'm only following orders," was the blonde's simple answer.

"Wh…What?" Matsumoto gasped out in disbelief. _Orders?!_ He was following _orders?!_ Exactly _whose_ orders?

Kira said nothing more of her inquiry though he continued to look at her ceaselessly. "Matsumoto-san, I believe you haven't seen my Shikai yet."

"Yeah? So what?" she questioned loudly.

"No matter, I don't mind showing you as well," Kira decided as he pulled out his zanpakutou from its sheath. "Raise your head, Wabisuke."

Suddenly, he flew at her with the intent to win the battle he'd just started. The tenth division's lieutenant was caught off guard for a moment, but managed to pull out her own zanpakutou in time to block the attack. He didn't stop with that one attack, launching a flurry of downward cuts at her. However, Matsumoto was fast and her sword countered each blow. As he finished off his bout of slashes, he stepped back and faced her with his once again neutral face.

"Are you done already?" the busty woman asked before the zanpakutou she held in her hands grew exceptionally heavy, crashing into the roof of the house they were fighting on. Growling in frustration, she attempted to lift the fallen blade, but it was to no avail.

Her friend said nothing to answer her earlier question and proceeded to explain his Shikai. "And that, Matsumoto-san, is the power of my Shikai. How many times did you block my sword just then?"

"Why should it matter?"

"It does, actually. It matters greatly, in fact," he informed her. "You see, Wabisuke doubles the weight of anything it cuts, and objects fall to the ground as though they were bowing. Hence, Wabisuke."

"So what?" Rangiku asked as she did before. "If I can't hold my zanpakutou, then I'll just not hold it."

Finally, _finally_, Kira's face displayed surprise. _Take that, you indifferent emo! _she cheered in her head. Though Izuru was one of her awesome drinking buddies, she wasn't particularly fond of him at the moment.

"I don't think you've ever seen _my_ Shikai either, have you, Kira?" she pointed out, the question being entirely rhetorical. "Roar, Haineko!"

Immediately after the words left her mouth, the blade of her zanpakutou rushed into ashes, floating around her, still clutching the hilt.

"Now, Kira, I think it will be fun watching you defeat something you can't hit," the buxom strawberry-blonde stated teasingly, smirking all the while. However, she couldn't shake the questions that grew inside of her. _Gin, what exactly do you plan to do to this kid?_

-

Hinamori was didn't know what to say. She shouldn't be here! It wasn't right! Besides, she had already broken enough rules today as it was. "Ichimaru-Taicho, this… Isn't this the Seijoutou-Kyorin? No one but the Central 46 are allowed in here…so…why are we…?"

"Patience, Hinamori-chan," he scolded her with a frighteningly large smile as they approached one of the towers. "Don't worry, will ya? The person who wants to meet ya is right in here."

Gin continued into the tower, spinning to face the door when he reached the back of the empty-looking house. Hinamori nodded lightly at his reassurance and climbed the steps in uncertainty. She glanced around the Seijoutou-Kyorin again, slowly walking up step after step.

"Ano…where is this person, Ichimaru-Taicho?" she asked as she stood mid-way through the giant hollow room.

"Turn around, Hinamori-chan," the captain that vaguely resembled a fox told her cheerfully, his eyes still closed and the corners of his lips still lifted.

So she did.

"A-A…" she choked in complete shock, unable to get the words out.

There he stood, his body entirely unscathed and totally alive. He smiled at her warmly—not the creepy and suspicious smile that Ichimaru-Taicho kept giving everyone—and her heart began beating wildly. There was no blood, no bruises, and no cuts. It was just _he_ with his brown hair, welcoming eyes, black-rimmed glasses, and captain's haori. It was he. It was truly he.

"It's good to see you again, Hinamori-kun," her Taicho greeted her kindly.

Hinamori so was overwhelmed with joy that she couldn't speak. She could feel her eyes burning, tears begging for release, so she let them. Water slid down her face as her lips curled up into a relieved smile, trips dripping hesitantly off her chin. He wasn't dead, he was alive and well, but she still had to know if it was true. She still had to know if her captain was truly her captain. Only a few days ago had she seen him sprawled across the wall of Seritei, motionless and bloody. It scared her thinking about it again.

Her legs started moving, forward and forward. "A-Aizen-Taicho…" she finally squeaked out as she reached her precious captain she grasped his robes, pulling herself close to his body to feeling his radiating warmth. It couldn't be possible for him to be dead. Hinamori could feel him right in front of her. "I-I thought…you were dead, but you're not! You're alive, Aizen-Taicho! I'm so glad!"

"I'm sorry, Hinamori-kun, for making you worry," he apologized sincerely, wrapping his arms around her to put her in his embrace, "but I had to fake my death for my plans."

"Nn," the fifth division Fukutaicho said for emphasis while shaking her head. She knew Aizen had good intentions all the time, and if he couldn't tell her what he had been doing, it was okay. He always did the right thing. "It's fine. You're here now, and that's all that matters."

She was so happy.

"Thank you, Hinamori-kun, for all that you've done," Aizen said gladly. She barely felt his right hand leave her back as she lifted her head to look at his handsome face. The female shinigami offered him a watery smile.

"However, I don't need you anymore,"

His visage turned cold and sinister, and Hinamori's eyes widened. She had never seen that look on her captain's face before, ever.

A blade ran viciously through his chest, and suddenly Aizen-Taicho was fading away. He wasn't warm anymore, nor was he there at all. The clothes in her hands disappeared and his presence before her washed into nothingness. As his image descended into the air, she spotted the assaulter that had attacked her captain in front of her.

_Shirou-chan._

There stood the boy captain wielding his zanpakutou, mixed emotions playing on him.

Her mouth involuntarily fell open in astonishment. What had Shirou-chan just _done?_ Aizen-Taicho… Aizen-Taicho… Aizen-Taicho was gone again! He had left because Hitsugaya had attacked them!

"My, my, you came much earlier than expected, Hitsugaya-kun,"

Amongst Hinamori's raging thoughts, she heard her captain and whirled. Much to her relief, he was there standing next to Ichimaru-Taicho whose sly expression remained unchanged.

"Ara, sorry about that, Aizen-Taicho," Ichimaru spoke to his former captain. "It looks like Kira-kun hold him off that long."

"Aizen-Taicho!" she shouted in glee. She didn't care much for Hitsugaya's presence at the moment.

"What…the hell is going on here?" Hitsugaya demanded impatiently, glaring at Aizen's seemingly impenetrable face. "How did you just disappear, and why did you just draw your zanpakutou on Hinamori? Answer me, Aizen-Taicho! You're dead! We all saw it, so why are you here and what are your intentions?!"

"So many questions, Hitsugaya-kun. Little boys like you shouldn't be so nosy, but if you must know, I suppose I could at least tell you about my Shikai.

Suigetsu has the ability to put one under complete hypnosis. If you are put under my Shikai, I control all five of your senses. Once you are subjected to Kyokasuigetsu, you cannot escape my hypnosis. Of course, you have to see the illusion at least once in order to fall under the spell. Therefore, one who cannot see cannot be hypnotized."

"In other words, Tousen Kaname is also your accomplice," Hitsugaya ground out between his teeth. "You bastards…"

At this point in time, Hinamori had no idea what was going on. What was Aizen-Taicho talking about? His Shikai was of controlling the flow of water, not hypnosis. Furthermore, Shirou-chan had just insulted her captain _and_ tried to kill him! Once was already enough! She could let him get away with this!

"Hitsugaya-kun! You don't have the right to criticize or attack Aizen-Taicho! Apologize right now!" she ordered angrily, her face stern.

Her childhood friend stared back at her incredulously. "Are you even _listening_, Hinamori?"

"Ah, Hinamori-kun, you have been alive in the world of dead for far too long. You should be thanking Hitsugaya-kun for coming so fast. My, you were supposed to be dead by now," Aizen sighed tiredly. "I guess it's time. Gin, if you would."

"No problem, Aizen-Taicho," the grinning man replied quite happily as he pulled out his zanpakutou. "Shoot 'em dead, Shinso!"

The sword extended greatly, rapidly making its way to a bun-headed Fukutaicho who was to startled to move. Hinamori was so confused. Aizen-Taicho, Ichimaru-Taicho, Tousen-Taicho—she didn't understand any of it! What had they been talking about? Why were they speaking of her death?

"Hinamori!" a boyish voice called in worry, but she barely registered that it was her own name.

Something sharp…something shiny was coming towards her at a great speed, yet she didn't have one thought that told her to move. "Aizen-Taicho…" she whispered in fear. It was all so confusing.

The last thing she saw was a flash of silver before all became darkness.

-

Matsumoto stared blankly at the wall in the tenth's office. _Gin, why are you doing this?_ she asked the wall internally. She let go of a breath she didn't know she'd been holding in and closed her eyes in misery. Memories crossed her mind, all of them filled with the same face she'd known for many years. The lieutenant shook her head, remembering the most recent one.

"_I'm disappointed with ya, Ran-chan. You could've held on just a little longer," he commented teasingly as he floated up the pillar of light along with Aizen and Tousen._

She mentally kicked herself. This wasn't something to recall at this moment. Soul Society—well, Seritei in general—was a mess. Three captains had left and those same three were now deemed traitors. Matsumoto would never have guessed it herself. Aizen had always been so kind, Tousen had always firmly believed in justice, and Gin…

She had believed in Gin, and he had betrayed her.

…Or had he? She just didn't know.

"What are you thinking, Gin?" the isolated woman asked herself quietly, a dazed look on her face.

It was then that she realized a Death Butterfly had been fluttering around her for quite some time. The big-breasted vice-captain lifted her index finger to let it land on the tip. The messenger did so immediately and proceeded to transmit the message.

_Please come to the fourth division as soon as possible. It is urgent._

A sigh escaped her lips. How tiresome. All she wanted to do right now was mope and drink.

_But it's urgent, apparently. I'd better go,_ she reasoned with her lazy self. She'd use shunpo, she decided in exhaustion. Faster ways to travel were always better.

When she reached the fourth division, indeed, it seemed to be urgent as Unohana-Taicho was already waiting there for her at the front. The healer had a very weary expression she leaned against the doorframe.

"Unohana-Taicho, you needed to see me?" Rangiku questioned the older woman politely.

"Yes," she replied gently. "Hitsugaya-Taicho and Hinamori-Fukutaicho were involved in a fight with two of the three traitors."

Suddenly, Matsumoto was at full attention. "What?! Are they okay?"

"Indeed, they are fine. Hinamori-Fukutaicho is unhurt and should be waking up anytime now while Hitsugaya-Taicho is unconscious with a severe injury and there is no doubt he will recover from it fully," Unohana answered patiently. "However…"

That was just another way of say "but," and Matsumoto did not like "but." "What is it, Unohana-Taicho?"

The kind woman closed her eyes in remorse. "We do not know if he'll wake up."

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**Author's Note:** Yep, so Hinamori's fine and Hitsugaya's in a coma. It's all going to go off the actual storyline from here. Thanks for reading!

Comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.


	2. Unbreakable Faith

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Bleach and a few parts from this chapter.

**Author's Note:** Hi! Ooh, I got chapter two out pretty fast, but don't ever expect me to update this quickly again. XD This is my reply to the awesome reviewers! Hurray! Gah...I'm so happy that one of my favourite authoress' is reading! Melts in joy Anyway, thank you SO MUCH for the reviews! It's what keeps me writing this. Seriously. I don't find any pleasure in writing only for myself. In regards to the spelling and grammar errors last chapter, yes, I realize I had a few, but mostly because I HATE PROOFREADING! Fortunately, just for you guys, I found it in my lazy self to read this whole chapter over and edit, so I hope it's at least I bit better than last time. Anyway, enjoy!

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**Perfect Timing** by HawkofNavarre

**Chapter 2 – _Unbreakable Faith_**

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She was feeling dizzy when she awoke, clutching her head in pain. Hinamori sat up in her bed and gazed around the room. Wasn't she…supposed to be somewhere else? This was the fourth division, or at least a room in it. The awoken female looked down at the bed, discovering that she was only wearing the white layer of her shihakushou and that her hair had been let down. Frowning largely at her hanging strands, she spotted her hair accessory on the table beside her and grabbed it, tying her hair as it usually was. Hinamori despised it when her mid-length hair hung loosely. It was annoying. Furthermore, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more important she should be thinking about.

Then it hit her.

"Aizen-Taicho!" she gasped loudly as memories flooded back to her. Hitsugaya trying to kill her beloved captain, something very confusing they had been discussing, the sword that had come her way, and the glimpse of silver hair she'd seen before her blackout.

The secluded Fukutaicho considered each thing carefully. Shirou-chan had attempted to murder her captain, and that much she was certain of. After all, she had observed the moment his blade thrust across the body of her sweet Taicho. Then again, the pieces didn't fit together at all. If Aizen had written that Hitsugaya was his murderer, then it had to be true, yet the green-eyed genius and his Fukutaicho had not killed the Central 46. Hinamori was sure of this. She knew her childhood companion too well to be unable to detect his lies. It was like when she had just begun the Shinigami Academy. Shirou-chan had always told her to never come back, but she knew he never meant it. This topic was proving more complex than she'd originally thought, so she decided to come back to it later.

About the confusing conversation, Hinamori could barely recall any of it. Every piece of it was fuzzy and she didn't understand what they were saying. The three captains had mentioned something about hypnosis and Aizen's Shikai, but hypnosis for the Kidou master's first release was clearly impossible. Aizen had shown all the vice-captains his Shikai before, and it involved _water_—certainly not hypnosis. There had also been some talk about her own death from Aizen's mouth, which had also lost her. She didn't even want to think about that anymore. It was making her head spin in circles.

On the other hand, she knew what had gone on right before she'd fainted. Hinamori remembered all of it clearly. Aizen had ordered her death and Ichimaru had been the one to carry it out.

So then why…why was she still alive?

She knew well that Aizen-Taicho was never irrational, so he must have had a good reason for wanting her dead. She'd done something bad that she didn't know about, so she'd figure out what it was and beg her dear captain for forgiveness.

The silver, however, she could identify without another guess. It _had_ to be Hitsugaya. He was the only one in Soul Society with silver hair--well, maybe Isane too, but hair colours varied a lot in the Soul Society. Still, she didn't know what to think about his involvement in the whole thing, but Hinamori was definitely angry with him. She was going to have a good talking with him when she got out of this room.

Speaking of the room…

"Ah!" a surprised voice intruded on her thoughts. "Hinamori-Fukutaicho! You're awake!"

"Oh… Yes…" she responded, blinking in a daze.

"I-I will go get Unohana-Taicho at once!" the frantic fourth division member squeaked quickly before nearly throwing himself out the door.

Hinamori blinked again.

-

"Taicho… Just what happened to you?" Matsumoto asked the barely moving body beside her. She watched the young captain breathe with the help of a machine, and she couldn't help the tears falling down her cheeks as she saw him. He was still just a kid! What did he do to deserve this? She struggled to keep her composure although nobody else was around, praying that he would open his glowing green eyes.

Matsumoto didn't know many of the details of the fights yet except what Unohana had told her. The fourth division captain had witnessed just the last part of the fight between her own captain and Aizen. Apparently, Hitsugaya had pulled out his Bankai but was defeated in just more than a second. To destroy Hitsugaya so thoroughly in so little time…Matsumoto shuddered at Aizen's power.

_Gin was there too,_ she remembered, but she didn't know what he'd done. The strawberry-blonde was so messed up in the brains at the moment. Gin had always been an enigma to her, though he had also always been there for her when she needed him. _And now where is he?_ Bitter feelings filled her, staring at the silver-haired prodigy on the bed. The mysterious man had had a hand in her captain's deep sleep, and now they didn't know if he would ever wake up.

"Wake up, Taicho," she whispered tenderly to the captain she considered to be her younger brother, even if she would never tell him that. "Just wake up, please…"

"Rangiku-san…"

The busty Fukutaicho jumped slightly in her seat at the sound of a new voice entering the room. Hastily, she wiped her red eyes and turned around to smile at the man. "Hey, Renji. Good to see you."

"You don't have to keep up that pathetic façade just because I'm here," the redheaded male told her with a sneer.

Good ol' Renji, always unrelentingly blunt.

"Shut up. What about you and you're stupid 'tough guy' act? You aren't going to impress Kuchiki with that after what the ryoka boy did for her."

"Aw, I don't even want to think about what you're suggesting! Rukia's like my sister!"

"Psh, as if."

"Whatever," he grumbled in annoyance. "I didn't come here to argue with you. I just wanted to see how Hitsugaya-Taicho was doing and how you're holding up."

She grimaced at his sudden sympathetic tone. "I'm doing fine, if you haven't noticed."

"Then why were you crying?" Renji pointed out cleverly.

There was a brief pause in their conversation before she retaliated with a, "I hate you, Renji."

"The feeling's mutual, Rangiku."

Another pause filled the room, then they both burst out in laughter. Matsumoto was grateful to have friend like Renji. His rash and obnoxious behaviour was always fun to have around, especially at the bar or at drinking parties. He always knew when to be a good friend as well. Despite his good qualities, it was somewhat irritating that he was so stubborn most of the time, but he was Renji, and she wouldn't change him.

"So, is Hitsugaya-Taicho doing okay?" he asked in curiosity.

"Unohana-Taicho said that he'll recover fully…but they don't know if he'll wake up," she replied reluctantly. Really, she didn't want to think about it, but it was reality. "He's in a coma, Renji."

Renji swore under his breath. "Aizen…that bastard…"

"Yeah, but he'll be okay. I know he will," Rangiku said in determination, staring intensely at her unresponsive captain.

"Ah." He nodded in agreement before turning for the door. "I'll leave you alone now. If you need to talk to anyone, Rangiku-san… Well, you know…" he informed her without eye-contact, embarrassed. "Oh, and if you want, you can visit Hinamori later. Isane-san said that Hinamori will be open to visitors as soon as she's done being questioned by Unohana-Taicho."

"Okay," the tenth division vice-captain replied although she really had no intention of leaving her captain's side. "Oh—and Renji…" He turned his head to look at her. "Thanks."

"Ah," was all he said again before he left the room.

With that, Matsumoto continued to stare at Hitsugaya's small figure, now resting her head on the side of his bed as she sat on a fairly comfortable chair. She recalled the day where they'd first met, smiling lightly at the memory of her breasts nearly giving the boy a concussion. He was still that short, even after all this time.

"Taicho, you're like my little brother," she finally admitted even though he couldn't hear her, "except _you're_ the one who bosses _me_ around." Matsumoto laughed bitterly as memories of him yelling at her flashed within her mind. "That's why you have to wake up. You can't leave onee-san all alone…"

_You can't leave me…like Gin did._

-

"Thank you, Hinamori-Fukutaicho. Those are all the questions I have," Unohana said with a smile as she started to leave the room.

"Wait!" Hinamori called to the healer's back, getting the woman to promptly stop in her tracks.

"Yes? What is it, Hinamori-Fukutaicho?" the oddly hair braided female prompted her patient.

"Ano… Please, where is Aizen-Taicho? I must ask him a question," she pleaded Unohana Retsu softly. She needed to know where her captain was and the reason he needed her to die.

A worried look passed over Unohana's face before she closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened her eyes, she looked ready to answer. "I will not lie to you, Hinamori-Fukutaicho, but you must promise to stay in this room and behave appropriately when I tell you the situation that involves your captain."

Hinamori was willing to give anything for her captain. "I promise."

-

_I dream of a plane of ice…_

_I feel the presence of ice…_

_I can hear a voice echoing…_

_Like it's crushing me, like it's swallowing me up…_

_Like thunder resounding far in the distance…_

_I can hear a voice…_

_Like it's crushing me, like it's swallowing me up…_

_Like thunder falling into this palm…_

_And on that plane of ice…_

_**I die.**_

A chill rolled down his spine as he rolled over on the hard floor. The ground was frozen and cold, he found, touching it lightly with his fingers. He knew where he was. There was no point in opening his eyes.

"_Do not be a fool, Toushirou. How will my words have any impact on you if you cannot see me?"_

"I'm not stupid," he shot back, eyes still tightly shut and back flat on the icy plane. "I know what you look like."

A throaty laugh echoed around him. _"It matters not if you know my appearance or not, but you will talk to me, eye to eye."_

"_Fine,_" he groaned lazily, finally cracking open his eyelids. Hitsugaya Toushirou there stared up at a massive ice dragon. He took note that he was only wearing his shihakushou without his captain's haori. Whatever; it was comfortable enough and it wasn't like anyone that questioned his authority were here.

"_Better. We have much to talk about."_

Hitsugaya sighed as he stood up from the ground, dusting off his frosted clothes casually. "Hmph, this feels like déjà vu."

-

_A traitor?!_ There was no way that Aizen could be a _traitor!_ Aizen had always done what was best for Soul Society! Not only that, but he was sweet, logical, and always so gentle. Hinamori could not _believe_ what Unohana had said! She couldn't just let this go!

"With all due respect, Unohana-Taicho, I know Aizen-Taicho the best and he would never do what you just said he did!" Hinamori shouted in her bed. She wasn't about to break her promise—yet.

The elder woman shook her head. "I understand that you admire Aizen greatly," she mused softly, "but this is your downfall, Hinamori-Fukutaicho. The Aizen Sousuke you knew never existed; yet because you saw such a man in this traitor, he so easily manipulates you. When you finally realize the truth, Hinamori-Fukutaicho, you will see what you loved in Aizen Sousuke was never there."

"You're wrong, Unohana-Taicho! Aizen-Taicho would never use anyone!"

A sad smile appeared on the healer's face. "I see that there is no getting through to you. You are just as stubborn as Hitsugaya-Taicho," she commented.

"About Hitsugaya-kun," Hinamori began hesitantly. "I would like to talk to him as well." After some very careful thinking, she eventually ended up concluding that he'd done nothing wrong—besides the fact that he'd insulted her Aizen-Taicho—and thought it would be best to apologize. She would also have to ask him why he tried to kill the fake Aizen. _He must have known it was a counterfeit,_ she settled on.

"Hmm, you may speak to him as soon as he is able," Unohana explained before she left the room.

Hinamori was once again bewildered. What did she mean by that?

-

_Hitsugaya flash stepped hurriedly in front of his childhood friend and blocked the incoming zanpakutou with his own. He grunted as the force of Shinso sent him backwards a way, colliding with Hinamori's stomach._

_He whirled as she fell to the ground forcefully, hitting her head in the process. The young captain cursed quietly but was relieved to find that she was only unconscious. Even protecting her, he still couldn't do his job thoroughly._

"_Gin, enough," Aizen commanded his accomplice. "I will finish the rest."_

"_All right, Aizen-Taicho," the younger captain obeyed immediately as he sheathed Shinso._

_Hitsugaya turned back to his opponents with an icy glare. He pointed Hyourinmaru forward in his left hand directly at Aizen Sousuke. In truth, although the silver-haired shinigami had never suspected the fifth's captain the cause of the strange incidents happening in Seritei, he'd never liked the man at all. Hinamori wouldn't stop talking about him and always blew Hitsugaya off to be with her captain. The traitor had changed his childhood friend and there was only one person she'd glance at._

_However, now he could see the real person beneath the glasses and the popular kindness he showed, so Hitsugaya had to know._

"_Aizen, I want you to answer me a question," he said lowly, the rest of his body preparing for attack._

"_I see no harm in answering a simple question. Feel free to ask."_

_There was no stalling. "Why did you try to kill Hinamori?" he demanded angrily. "All she ever did was look up to you! She nearly worked herself to death just to become your lieutenant! She admired you so much!"_

"_Ah, you see, I had no use for her anymore. Hinamori is such a naïve little girl. She never bothered to try and see my true identity, and that is why I pushed to have her as my subordinate. The people who admire you are easily manipulated," the traitorous captain explained with a twisted grin._

"_So you used her and decided to get rid of her when she was no longer of any use," Hitsugaya growled viciously. He could barely contain his anger._

"_Correct. You were always quite the genius, Hitsugaya-kun. But it was not my fault Hinamori admired my substitute so much. She just never understood the real Aizen Sousuke, nor had any of you," he laughed lightly. He then lifted his head higher, as if he were a God. "After all, admiration is the furthest from comprehension."_

_He couldn't take it anymore. There was nothing more in Soul Society that he wanted to do than slice off the head of Aizen Sousuke. _

"_BANKAI!" he screamed at the top of his lungs as the space around him exploded in ice and reiatsu, effectively blowing up the tower they were in. Frozen water climbed up his shoulders and formed a shield of ice around his body. He breathed, facing the two men that had moved behind him. "Daiguren Hyourinmaru."_

_Hitsugaya flew forward to his foe, reiatsu flaring from his body wildly. "DIE!" the boy yelled in rage, thrusting his sword through Aizen's body and ice forming everywhere around it._

_Aizen, frozen in the ice, lifted his head and smiled with his glasses shining._

_Hitsugaya's eyes widened._

_Aizen was gone._

_There was a sharp, unbearable pain in his back._

_And then there was blood._

"That's all I remember," Hitsugaya told his zanpakutou in honesty.

"_You are fortunate, Toushirou. You might have died,"_ Hyourinmaru scolded him in his roaring voice.

He snorted. "Tch, you make it sound like some kind of epic tale."

"_It certainly was an epic tale. The silver-haired prince goes out to kill the demon that tried to murder the princess."_

"Always the sarcastic one, Hyourinmaru,"

"_So are you, Toushirou."_

"One and the same," he groaned in frustration. It was really irritating that his dragon had nearly the exact same personality as him.

"_Not quite. I am not the one who is in love," _the ice entity cackled humorously.

Unfortunately, the topic didn't seem to be as entertaining to the young prodigy as it did the arrogant dragon. Hitsugaya's jaw dropped in disbelief as he stared at his zanpakutou in horror. Had Hyourinmaru just said what he _thought_ had been said?

"I-In _love?_"

-

"Ah! Matsumoto-san, I thought you might be here,"

"Huh? Oh, Kuchiki. What are you doing here?" Matsumoto asked the raven-haired woman, sitting up from her place on Hitsugaya's bed.

"I heard about Hitsugaya-Taicho and thought it best to come pay my respects," she answered truthfully, bowing in her white robes. "You and Hitsugaya-Taicho… You two were trying to stop my execution, weren't you?"

"Yes…" She trailed off, knowing that their primary objective had never been to save Rukia's life. They had just really needed to find out what was going on, and that had been one of the things they had to do. Still, though, Rangiku really didn't think it would be right for Rukia to die anyway. The girl had just been helping out a guy in need, right? "Honestly though, Kuchiki, we didn't do it for you. We knew something was going on, and you just happened to be part of it."

Rukia shook her head with a small smile. "All the same, I'm grateful to anyone who had a part in helping me. Nii-sama too… I feel like I understand him a little more now."

Matsumoto returned the sentiment. "That's definitely a good thing. Kuchiki-Taicho is really such a hardhead—and don't tell him I said that. Oh, and Taicho would most certainly be glad that you're here," she added quickly.

The Chappy lover giggled. "I really hope he wakes up soon. He's so young and there's no way he deserves this," the thirteenth's squad member admitted worriedly.

"Yeah…" she agreed silently. Hitsugaya would hate them if he heard them calling him young. "Anyway, what's the relationship between you and the orange-haired ryoka boy?"

"H-huh? Oh, you're talking about Ichigo—Kurosaki Ichigo."

Matsumoto let out a low whistle and laughed. "His name's strawberry? Ha, what a guy! So, do you like him?" the sexy Fukutaicho inquired with a sly grin.

"W-wha?" Rukia was blushing now. "Matsumoto-san, what are you talking about?!"

Excellent. Caught the cat in the bag. "He came all this way to rescue you, correct? I mean, don't you think that's just a _little bit_ sweet?"

"He felt he had to, to repay me for giving him the power to save his family!" Rukia shouted in embarrassment, waving her hands frantically in front of her.

"Well, then that's beside the point! Does he look hot?"

"_H-HUH?!_"

"Is he muscular? Oh, of course, if he could beat Kuchiki-Taicho, then he's got to have the body!"

"Matsumoto-san!"

"How does Renji feel about the two of you?"

"We're not—"

Rukia's protest was promptly cut off when a powerful reiatsu sent them to their knees, or in Rangiku's case, the combined pressure of her weight and spiritual energy caused her to break the chair she was sitting on. Matsumoto cursed in her mind, taking in small breaths of air because that was the best she could do. She looked at her captain and it was an understatement to say that she was shocked to see him levitating in the air. All wires connected to him were gone as ice wings sprouted from his back like they did when he was in Bankai.

What the hell was happening to her captain?

* * *

**Author's Note:** Er, in regards to the next chapter, there isn't going to be much action in this story, so Hitsugaya's not doing anything drastic... Well, I do have _one_ scene planned out in the future that has action, but I'm not sure about anything else. So, spelling mistakes? Grammar errors?

(By the way, I hope you can tell by now that I love switching P.O.V.s, so there may be some views from people that are not completely involved in the story, but nobody too far off.)

Review please? Constructive criticism please? XD


	3. Heart to Heart

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Bleach, I would have Hitsugaya and Hinamori together! :D

**Author's Note:** Greetings once again! Sort of edited, sort of not edited, so...yeah... XD I must thank my reviewers again! I LOVE YOU! :) Trust me, hits alone will not keep me writing this story. You guys save it! Anyway, I wanted to write something more funny this time, since after chapter four, it'll be getting _really_ intense--and not the good kind. The romance will come a little later. First we'll have to deal with all the angst and drama! Oh, and an explanation of my view of zanpakutous: I'm making them chose their wielders by similarities in personality, basically. Here we go! You'll get a glimpse of Hitsugaya acting his age... ;D

* * *

**Perfect Timing** by HawkofNavarre

**Chapter 3 – _Heart to Heart_**

* * *

"_Ne, Toushirou, you cannot deny something as truthful as that,"_ Hyourinmaru pointed out cheerfully. Apparently he enjoyed pissing off his master immensely. Just watching the short shinigami shake in anger was total amusement. Hitsugaya shouldn't have been shocked. He knew that he'd definitely be bored if he were the one stuck on a never-ending plane of ice. There were a few frozen trees here and there, but all in all, it was an extremely dull place.

"What the hell, Hyourinmaru!" the little captain shouted in fury. No matter how lame his inner world was, it didn't justify the dragon's attempts at pissing him off—not to mention the fact that most of the time it worked. "You can't be serious!"

"_I am very serious. You are simply too naïve to understand your own feelings,"_ he responded easily. Stupid smooth-talking Hyourinmaru. That mythical being was just too wise for his own good.

"I'm not naïve!" Hitsugaya protested, wanting badly to prove his zanpakutou wrong. "I'm just… Just…"

"_Young, might we say?"_

The silver-haired kid let out a snarl. "Yeah, I suppose you could say that," he conceded grudgingly.

"_Which is exactly why you do not know that you are in love. You are still maturing, Toushirou. It is not surprising that you are rejecting your feelings. However, in time you will realize that what I am saying is quite significant in your life,"_ Hyourinmaru explained in a sagely manner.

Hitsugaya didn't know why, but he was getting very worked up over this. The calm part of him, the side he usually wore in front of the world would have gotten him to brush off the comment and discuss the topic candidly with his often advisor so that he would have a better understanding of what the heck the dragon was saying. Except today, the composed Hitsugaya Toushirou seemingly fell off a cliff and died, leaving the annoyed and easily agitated kid, Shirou-chan, to deal with the witty spirit. His blood was already boiling and he could feel his reiatsu rising. Hyourinmaru was such a know-it-all! It wasn't like the tenth's shinigami needed this right now! There were better, more relevant things to worry about, right?

"Shut up!" Hitsugaya ordered, the completely irrational side of him taking over. "You don't know anything!"

"_Hmph, strong words, Toushirou,"_ the ice deity laughed as his master continued to act like an angry kid. _"It seems you cannot handle what I am saying so your childish side had come out to play."_

"Whatever, I don't need you to tell me how I feel," he huffed, trying to suppress his anger though his spirit energy was upping quickly.

"_Toushirou's in love. He is simply too stubborn to admit it,"_

"I _am not_ in love, you stupid dragon! I told you not to tell me how I feel!"

_"A foolish boy, I must say. It is a shame that this so called 'tensei' cannot even confess that he is in love."_

"Shut _up_, Hyourinmaru!"

_"I thought he was smarter than that, yet it seems that I was mistaken. That unintelligent love-struck boy—"_

"SHUT _UP! I AM NOT IN LOVE!_" Hitsugaya screamed as his reiatsu rose up to Bankai level. Had there been a roof over his head, he was sure it would have collapsed or at least cracked. Luckily, since this was just his inner world, he had no zanpakutou and only icy wings appeared on his back showing the beginning stages of his Bankai. He glared heatedly at his zanpakutou, a glare so hot that it would have melted the dragon if it could. He was _pissed_ and immature Hitsugaya was out for blood.

After blasting reiatsu for about two minutes, the captain managed to calm his anger and let out a breath, a puff of vapour appearing in front of his mouth. "Okay, I'm done."

_"Have a good tantrum?"_

A vein popped up on his forehead, a sign that meant he was losing his patience. It was a good thing that reasonable Hitsugaya had returned from the grave. Nevertheless, he didn't want to hear his mistakes being repeated aloud. "I'm not going to make excuses. I reacted like a kid, but…" he replied honestly, trailing off.

_"But?"_

"It felt good."

_"Indeed. You act much to old for your age, Toushirou,"_

"Whatever."

_"So, back to you being in love."_

Oh, great. Now Hyourinmaru had switched to being playful and teasing. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. He wasn't in the mood, though he supposed it was inevitable.

"How can I be in love?" the green-eyed genius asked gruffly as he dropped to the ground, crossing his legs and leaning back on his hands. "I don't even know what it is. Why are you telling me this anyway?"

_"You know what it is. You loved your grandmother. And **someone** had to tell you. You're too oblivious to your feelings for your own good."_

"Fine, I'm oblivious, but baa-chan was different. You're talking about another type of love, aren't you?"

_"Quite so."_

"So how am I supposed to know when I'm experiencing the feeling _you're_ talking about?"

Hyourinmaru lowered his massive head to regain eye contact with the now sitting boy. _"In your case, a girl you want to protect, a girl you always want around, and a girl you wish to keep happy—she will be the one who makes you feel love."_

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. He didn't know anyone like that. "Oh yeah? And how would you know?"

A snicker, _"Toushirou, I have been around for hundreds and thousands of years. I'm older than the Soutaicho. Do you really think I am that ignorant?"_

"Probably not," he responded airily, not really caring. "You're more perceptive than I am, and that's saying a lot. In any case, how did I end up here? I can't be dead if I'm with you."

"_Correct. This is the only part of your soul that Aizen was not able to damage. Had he injured you more, I would have needed to begin searching for a new master, and that is no easy feat,"_ the frozen creature said grimly. _"It took me 1 815 years to find you, you know."_

"Fascinating," he muttered, not caring much. He wanted to know more about what was happening with his soul.

"_You were by far my youngest wielder,"_ Hyourinmaru announced absentmindedly.

"Uh huh,"

"_And cutest,"_ the dragon added thoughtfully.

The line between Hitsugaya-Taicho and Shirou-chan was crossed. He _hated it_ when people—including Hyourinmaru—called him cute! "Enough about my adorability and lack of height—"

"—_I said nothing about your height—"_

"—already! I just want to know what's going on outside!"

He hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. The suspense was killing him. He had to know if she was okay. If Aizen had done anything to her…

"_Hinamori-chan is fine,"_ the frosty being told him as if he'd read the little Taicho's mind. Hitsugaya awarded him with a strange look. _"What? I knew you would want to know that first."_

"That's good," he breathed in relief. "What else is going on?"

"_Well, Matsumoto-san is faithfully staying by your side like a good lieutenant and you successfully wrecked the fourth division's room with your temper tantrum," _the spirit supplied.

"Oh, my bad," the vertically challenged male said to no one in particular. He was thinking more about Matsumoto. The busty Fukutaicho…was staying with him? As much as he didn't want to admit it, she was always there for him. It was sort of comforting that she was next to him. He hoped she was okay, with what had happened to Gin and all…

His thoughts wandered over to Hinamori—she'd been unconscious the last time he saw her. She was okay though, that's what Hyourinmaru had said, and he trusted his zanpakutou very much. Hopefully she wasn't as blown over with Aizen's traitorousness as she had been at his phoney death. …Then again, this _was_ Hinamori, the girl who wouldn't stop talking and thinking about her _precious_ Aizen-Taicho if it saved her life. Hitsugaya had never really liked Aizen Sousuke, but he had acknowledged his kindness and status. He mentally slapped himself; he shouldn't have ever believed in the kindness. It had all been an act in the end and it was the one that lured in his best friend.

_"Aizen-Taicho is so cool!"_

Yeah, right.

"_I've never seen someone as strong as Aizen-Taicho!"_

How about the Soutaicho?

"_Aizen-Taicho is amazing!"_

Did it look like he cared?

"_Ne, Shirou-chan, when you become a shinigami, I'll introduce you to Aizen-Taicho! You'll adore him!"_

Psh, speak for yourself.

_"The most admirable captain I've met is certainly Aizen-Taicho!"_

_When_ would she stop talking about him?

_"I love Aizen-Taicho!"_

Something inside of him just snapped. Stupid Aizen! He absolutely loathed when Hinamori chattered on about her brilliant captain, who was, in her world, significantly higher in the hierarchy than everyone else! To her, he was God himself! She would follow him until the end of the world, if she could!

Hitsugaya felt the desperate need to pound on something, but instead settled on visualizing himself tearing apart the former fifth's captain limb by limb. He needed to get out there and kill that evil bastard!

Speaking of which…

"Oi, Hyourinmaru…" Hitsugaya called lightly.

_"Is there something you need?"_

"Yeah… When, exactly, am I going to wake up?"

-

She was pouting. Nobody was telling her anything, and it was making her angry. ANGRY! Hinamori wanted to get out of this freakishly white room! What was with this place? It was so dull and colourless! If she hadn't promised Unohana-Taicho, she would have busted out long ago! Honestly! The fourth division needed a paint job, or at least their boring rooms did. Watching the ceiling and tossing herself around in the bed wouldn't keep her mind off things, nor did they do anything to placate her. She wanted to know where Aizen-Taicho was, for he'd surely be waiting for her. She also wanted to know what was wrong with Hitsugaya. Hinamori was certain that her childhood friend wouldn't just leave her abandoned in this room! Where was he?

The overly loyal Fukutaicho found her zanpakutou at her bedside. She blinked in surprise; it hadn't been there earlier. Unohana must have placed it there when she hadn't been looking, after she'd promised to stay in the room and be good. Hence, she settled on sitting cross-legged on the bed with her sheathed zanpakutou lying in front of her.

"Tobiume?" she asked mentally, searching for her long-time friend's presence.

_"Ah, Momo-chan, I think that you need a good scolding,"_ Tobiume replied smoothly, her voice, gentle yet stern, sauntering into Hinamori's mind.

The shinigami flinched. "What…do you mean?"

_"The last time you used me, what was your purpose?"_ the spirit interrogated her firmly.

She would've looked away if she could. "I… I wanted to kill Shirou-chan. I thought he'd murdered Aizen-Taicho…" Hinamori admitted, ashamed.

_"Exactly. I know that the 'death' of your captain came as a shock and that you were thinking irrationally at the time, but I can't believe you would use me so recklessly,"_ Tobiume sighed in disappointment. "You still have much to learn, Momo-chan. Did you know that our lives are quite similar? In a past life, I'd fallen in love with a man. However, my lover and my best friend were mortal enemies, so when the man I'd loved so much passed away suddenly, I blamed him…my best friend…"

"Tobiume…" the bun-headed female murmured in sympathy.

_"No, it's fine. The thing I wanted to tell you is that there's one big difference between us, Momo-chan,"_

"What is it?"

_"I never tried to kill him."_

Hinamori opened her eyes in astonishment and stared at the wall, effectively ending the conversation. Her breathing had become heavy with shock and her heart was beating faster than it would've been during a 100-meter sprint. She couldn't figure out why the wise woman's last sentences had left such an impact on her. She already felt guilty enough after realizing that she'd turned her sword against bittersweet Shirou-chan, which really hadn't occurred until after she had woken up.

"H-Hinamori-Fukutaicho!" a fourth division member stuttered uneasily as he entered the room coyly. "I-I was s-s-sent to ask you if you…err…were okay after that big… reiatsu incident…"

She blinked at him in uncertainty. "What incident?"

"A-ah, nothing! A-anyway, do y-you feel well enough to leave, Hinamori-Fukutaicho?"

"Ano, what's your name?" she asked with a smile. This guy was already insanely uncomfortable. She didn't want to beat on his ego any more than it had already been.

"Y-Yamada Hanatarou, Hinamori-Fukutaicho!" he blurted out nervously.

"Well, Yamada-san, you can tell Unohana-Taicho that I'll leave as soon as she believes it okay,"

"Hai," the timid shinigami replied with full compliance.

"And can you tell me…" she began slyly, "where exactly is Hitsugaya-Taicho?"

"He's in a room two halls down," Hanatarou told her politely. "He was fatally wounded yesterday,"

Her eyes widened. No… It couldn't be! Who could have rendered her powerful childhood companion to be in such a state? "By who?" she shouted in a panic.

"Gomen, Hinamori-Fukutaicho… I am not permitted to say…"

"I—You—!" Hinamori spluttered almost angrily, managing to stop herself before her temper got out of hand. She knew it wasn't his fault. "I…see. Thank you, Yamada-san."

"I apologize for not being more helpful, Hinamori-Fukutaicho," he said, bowing his head.

"No, no, you did plenty," the female assured him as she waved her hands in front of her, trying her best to make sure that Hanatarou didn't blame himself.

It was too bad he'd already jolted out of the door, leaving the vice-captain alone in her white, white room.

-

Matsumoto frowned as she blew a strand of her own hair out of her face. That whole situation had caused a big ruckus. Nobody knew why Hitsugaya's reiatsu had gone off like that. After the…"incident," she had found her captain back on the bed where he belonged, ice wings unseen and levitating thrown out the window. Unohana-Taicho had rushed to the room as fast as she could and Rukia had left shortly after. Apparently, the short girl didn't want to intrude on any important Hitsugaya business. She'd only been there to extend her gratitude, and that was all.

The curvy lieutenant glared daggers at the broken chair on the floor. It only reminded her of the current state of the room, which led her to think about her captain and his mysteries, which ultimately led to thinking about him in his comatose condition. She just wanted her captain back, was that so bad? The room was still a complete wreck, and it had been five days. Matsumoto kicked the leftover pieces of her old chair into a corner, deciding to move the new one into its place. Sitting down, she began her daily talk to Hitsugaya, lying still on the bed.

"Morning, Taicho," she murmured quietly as she folded her arms on the side of his bed, leaning forward and resting her head on them. This had recently become a daily routine for her. "You haven't woken up for six days now, and I'm starting to get impatient. Did you know that I've been doing all my paperwork and yours as well?" Matsumoto paused, waiting for an unexpected reaction, but she received none. "Hah, I hope you heard that. You'd be so proud of me." The strawberry-blonde reached for her Taicho's hand, smiling softly. "If you don't wake up soon, I'm not going to do those huge piles of paperwork for you anymore, and then when you do awaken, you're going to have a monstrous heap of crap waiting for you to sign."

She paused for a bit, thinking of something he'd want to know. "Taicho, I know that Hinamori's important to you, so I'd figure I'd better tell you this: she's getting released from the fourth division today. She would've gotten out sooner, but she had a rather large bump on the back of her head. Nobody knows what happened, and Momo-chan wouldn't tell anyone. I'm sure you know how it happened, Taicho. You can't function properly when it comes to her."

"You know what else? You're scheduled to be featured in the next Shinigami Monthly, so you'd better come back to us by then. You're just too cute, Taicho. No girl is going to miss that issue—well, maybe, except Rukia-san. She's totally got the hots for that orange-haired ryoka boy—whose name is Kurosaki Ichigo, by the way," she rambled as if she were talking to one of her female friends.

"Matsumoto, I'd prefer it if you didn't gossip to me in particular. And…what the heck happened to this room?"

Said person jolted up in an instant, looking disbelievingly at her captain whose eyes were wide open. She put her hands to her cheeks. "TAICHO! You're awake! When did you wake up?"

"Just a few seconds ago. Jeez, I feel stiffer than a block of ice," he groaned in a strained voice as he lifted up an arm with much effort. Hitsugaya then attempted to sit up, failing miserably as the pain in his chest forced him back on his back. "Great, I can barely move."

Matsumoto felt herself tearing up as she flew onto her captain. "TAAAICHO! I'M SO HAPPY!"

"Mrmph!" he yelled in a muffled voice.

"What was that?"

"Breasts…! Suffocating…! Air…!"

She abruptly stood up, letting Hitsugaya take in the air that had been blocked by her enormous assets. "Ah, sorry, Taicho," the woman laughed apologetically. "I'm just really, really relieved… Oh! I should go get Unohana-Taicho!"

"Wait!" he shouted, his voice strained and unable to rise very much, though he managed to catch her right before she left the room. "Do me a favour, please, and tell Unohana-taicho as well."

"What is it?" Matsumoto asked the silver-haired shinigami.

-

Hitsugaya hated this place. He was sore all over, Unohana Retsu was holding Hyourinmaru captive, he didn't know where Hinamori was although he knew she was okay, and it would start to hurt if he raised his voice too much. To top it off, this room totally sucked. Everywhere he turned it was white. White: that stupid bland colour that would seriously piss you off if you saw too much of it. His hair, which some people decided was white and others thought it silver (he chose the latter himself), didn't bother him, nor did his captain's haori, but this room was so painfully tedious, and he'd worked so hard to get out of that deep sleep too. On top of all that, they didn't even bother to clean up most of this messy room. He wasn't even sure what had happened—oh, wait. Temper tan—er…anger release. Yes, that sounded much better.

_"Do you want to wake up, Toushirou?" _Hyourinmaru had asked.

Hitsugaya had nodded silently.

_"You lie to yourself then. Somewhere in your soul, you do not want to face that world again. If you truly want to go back to that world, your whole soul must be certain of that decision. I will speak to you some other time. Think carefully."_

And that was what his zanpakutou had said before disappearing across the plane of ice. Needless to say, he'd spent days trying to convince himself that he wanted to go back. Reason after reason had crossed his brain, but he kept thinking about Hinamori's enraged face. She had been so angry with him and hadn't even given him a chance to defend himself. No, she believed her captain without a second thought, and that was what Aizen had been aiming for. Maybe it had happened, and maybe it had hurt, but it didn't change the fact that he was going to protect Hinamori.

When Hitsugaya had thought about that, he woke up in this disgusting room with an aching body, then was questioned almost immediately after Unohana came into the room. He _did_ find it slightly amusing about how Matsumoto was rambling on about Kuchiki Rukia's crush though. Still, this place was more painful than his chest.

In other words, he seriously couldn't wait until he got out of here.

"Shirou-chan? Can I come in?"

His eyes widened. Only one person ever used that nickname for him. "Yeah, and it's Hitsugaya-Taicho to you, Bed-Wetter Momo."

Hinamori Momo entered the room and smiled at him. "When I heard you were awake, I came here right away. I'm so glad you're okay, Hitsugaya-kun," she told him whole-heartedly.

"Thanks…" If anything, he was seriously relieved that she was as well as Hyourinmaru had told him.

"But… I have to ask you, who did this to you?" Hinamori asked worriedly. "I want to know."

He didn't look at her. "It was…"

-

Matsumoto stood outside her captain's room. Hinamori was in there at the moment, and she didn't want to disturb them. She wasn't even eavesdropping, which was a big deal for her. She would have jumped at the chance to listen in so that she could tease him later. Her heart throbbed thinking about what Hitsugaya had said to her earlier—she hadn't told Unohana yet. He was protecting Hinamori, even from his bed where he lay incapacitated. He was protecting her…even though he was hurting himself.

_"If Hinamori ever asks who put me here…tell her it was Ichimaru Gin."_

* * *

**Author's Note:** It just seemed like such a Hitsugaya thing to do! XD Er... Dodges vegetables that are thrown Hey! Don't be so mean about it!

Chapter 4: Clashes between the childhood friends and a _tinsy_ little bit of Hitsu-whumpage.

Reviews and/or constructive criticism please! (Uh, excuse any spelling mistakes and missing words... I'm talking about grammar and stuff...) Trust me, hits don't mean much to authors. I could click on my own link all day if I wanted to, but that would just be sad. So, _please_ give me some feedback!


	4. Breaking What's Broken

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Bleach, I wouldn't be stuck writing fanfiction, now would I?

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! A giant, invisible, intangible cookie for all who reviewed! Thank you _so_ much! Hopefully, you have an idea of how happy you've made me. Unfortunately, I guarantee there will be no update next week (because sometimes, you never know when those'll pop up) since I'm going to be out of town and away from my computer. After that, summer ends and I'll be back at school (OH GOSH, THE HORROR!), which ultimately means updates will probably take longer. Luckily, I'll be writing during my trip because I have my awesome NOTEBOOK! :D Hey... Do you guys notice that three out of four chapters have the word "break" or variations of it in the title. I'm going to try and stay away from that word during chapter naming now... Anyway, for my lovely, lovely readers, ENJOY!

* * *

**Perfect Timing** by HawkofNavarre

**Chapter 4 – _Breaking What's Broken_**

* * *

Fingers raked across the wall lightly as Matsumoto tried to imagine what her captain was thinking. Was he a fool or just incredibly concerned for Hinamori's well being? In fact, she had to admit that she was a little jealous of the Aizen-obsessed vice-captain for getting to be in Hitsugaya's room at the moment. There were still so many things she wanted to ask her cute, little Taicho. Still, Hinamori seemed to take priority over "big sister" Rangiku. She only hoped that nothing drastic happened while the Kidou expert was in there. Matsumoto wasn't exactly sure how much Hitsugaya's opinion toward Aizen had changed yet.

Then again, he'd always harboured _some_ sort of hostility against that captain, but she was pretty certain that it was just because Hinamori was so infatuated the now traitor. The Ice Prince most definitely had a crush on his childhood friend, no matter how much he denied it.

"Matsumoto-Fukutaicho, are you feeling quite alright?"

The voice snapped her out of her reverie of thought. Unohana Retsu was standing in front of her, a warm smile on her face. "Ah, yes! Fine, fine," she answered hurriedly before remembering what Hitsugaya had asked her to do. "Unohana-Taicho, Hitsugaya-Taicho has asked a favour of you,"

"Oh? Please, enlighten me," the fourth's captain told her with a light voice. Matsumoto had no idea how that woman always maintained such a calm and kind exterior.

"He asks you to prevent Hinamori-Fukutaicho from knowing that it was traitor Aizen Sousuke who nearly killed him and tell her that it was Ichimaru Gin."

"In other words, Hitsugaya-Taicho wants me to lie for him," the elder woman rephrased while Matsumoto nodded grimly. "I will do it, but she must be told the truth in time."

"I very much agree," the tenth's lieutenant approved.

With a sigh, Unohana-Taicho shook her head sadly. "Hitsugaya-Taicho is simply growing up too fast. A boy like him should not be holding so much responsibility upon his shoulders or have to protect his friend's happiness at the cost of his own. This is hurting him, is it not?"

"It must be," Matsumoto replied, a distant look in her eye as she gazed over at her captain's room.

-

"Oi! Kira!" Renji called to his long-time friend. Kira Izuru was currently at a bar, drinking his sorrows away.

"Wha 'da you want, Renji?" he slurred half-lucidly as he slammed his glass of sake on the counter. "You gunna drink wif' me?"

Renji snickered as he looked in pity at his academy buddy. The poor guy had been a complete mess ever since the day it was announced that Captain Hitsugaya Toushirou might never wake up, blaming himself for the whole incident. All the vice-captains had been told what had happened, with the exception of Hinamori, and none of them blamed the third's Fukutaicho at all—not even Matsumoto. Kira had only been following orders and didn't even know what was going on behind his back.

_This guy seriously needs therapy,_ Renji decided disapprovingly as he glanced at the emo looking man, half sprawled over the counter. "Did you hear? Hitsugaya-Taicho just woke up."

Kira dropped his glass in the midst of taking a swig, sending the sake bottle crashing onto the table. He clumsily picked it up his drink before it spilled and whirled around at Renji. "S'what? Hitsugaya-Ta-Tou-_Tai_cho is just—wait, wha?! Hitsugaya-Taicho's okay?!"

The red-haired wanted to smirk. That guy would finally stop blaming himself and beating up his liver. Actually, was death by drinking even possible in the Soul Society? He knew in the living world people died from it, but…

_Gah, get back on topic, Abarai!_

"Yeah, so…you going to visit him or what?" Renji asked smugly, expecting only one answer from the drunken blonde.

Kira stared at his companion for a few seconds and blinked. Once, twice, three times. "…No."

He thought he nearly fell over from the shock of the response. That was…extremely anticlimactic. Renji was going to bash that idiot's head in soon. "What? Are you kidding me? You're beating yourself up over the fact that you think it was your fault that one of the ten loyal captains nearly died and you won't even go over and congratulate the guy for _surviving?_ How much of a moron _are_ you exactly?" the sixth's vice-captain exploded. "Jeez, and I thought _I_ was the stupid one out of us three."

Once again, he received a blank look from the moping shinigami. It could perhaps be classified as amused; otherwise, it looked pretty dull.

"Is this about the blame? It _is_ about the blame, isn't it? You feel guilty, right?" Abarai asked rhetorically. "Well, guess what? _Nobody_ else thinks it's your fault. You were even excused by the Soutaicho, and _I,_ personally, think that's something. The only person who you need to know doesn't blame you is Hitsugaya-Taicho himself, so why don't you go see him?"

More staring.

"Or is this about Hinamori? Are you afraid she's going to mad that you nearly got both her _and_ her childhood friend killed?"

This time, Kira's expression looked considerably gloomier. "You're naht makin' me feel any better, ya know…" he groaned, his forehead hitting the counter.

Renji snorted and tugged hard enough on his depressed friend's hair to make his head tilt backwards. The tattooed shinigami made eye contact with the drunk and glared. "Listen up, Izuru," he growled forcefully. "You're going to see Hitsugaya-Taicho whether you want to or not. Now pick up your pathetic, intoxicated ass and _let's go._" Finally, he let go of the bright hair in his possession before sighing one more time at Kira. "Man, you look like you used Wabisuke on yourself."

There was no reply, but Kira grudgingly chugged the rest of his sake and got up from his stool, lazily lugging after Renji.

-

"I see… So it was Ichimaru Gin who did this to you…" Hinamori said softly as she gazed out the single window in the room.

For once in his life, Hitsugaya felt a bit like a coward. He really didn't want to face Hinamori at all. All of this was too hard for him to do. Who knew what she might say? He'd honestly been preparing answers for any other questions she might ask as quickly as possible, and now that she was right here in front of him, everything else that had been pre-organized had just blown away from his mind.

In other words, this was not good.

He struggled to sit up when Hinamori wasn't looking. Being a pathetic weakling was _not_ in his book and he wasn't about to add it. The patient took in a deep breath and pushed himself up with all his strength, biting his lip in order to keep from making any noises of agony. He cursed Aizen inwardly; this wound hurt like _Hell._ As soon as he managed to get to an acceptable place in the bed, he exhaled and attempted to soothe his sore body. Crap. It felt like the thin layer of skin that had regenerated over his injury would burst any minute. He couldn't make any sudden movements.

"Poor Izuru-kun… He's been so betrayed by his captain. He always looked up to Ichimaru-Taicho so much," she sympathetically mused aloud as she turned around to see Hitsugaya wincing in pain.

Hinamori gasped and rushed over to his side, hold his back and shoulder tenderly. It took all his effort to keep his face at the correct temperature, close to blushing at the contact, even through all the ache.

"Mou, Shirou-chan, you should be more careful with your body," she scolded him with a frown.

"Isn't it the same for you?" Hitsugaya asked as he settled in a comfortable spot, regarding her previous statement. "And it's Hitsugaya-Taicho."

"Eh? What do you mean?" the brown-eyed Fukutaicho questioned him in confusion.

He wasn't sure if he should even be saying this. Hitsugaya knew it would be leading him down a dangerous path, but eventually it was going to come out of his mouth whether he wanted it to or not. It didn't matter to him much, because in the end, he was the one who was going to be taking the most pain anyway. The results would always be the same: he would always be inferior to Aizen in Hinamori's view, so if he wanted the emotional abuse, he was allowed to take it.

"Your situation and Kira's, they're very similar, aren't they?"

"No, no," she denied almost immediately. "We're in completely different situations, Hitsugaya-kun. Look at what Ichimaru Gin did to you! I know Izuru-kun must be devastated! Aizen-Taicho, on the other hand, has done nothing wrong. I'm quite sure that it was Ichimaru who forced Aizen-Taicho to follow him."

It was like someone was ripping his arm off bit by bit. Hinamori seemed as though she would believe in her captain no matter what, unlike her faith in himself. The pain of knowing she could doubt him so easily was worse than the pain in his chest.

"Do you remember _any_ of what happened that day?" he ground out, voice shaking. His hands balled into fists so hard that he could feel small indents of crescent shapes from his fingernails forming. Was she ignoring all those events? Was she so _blind?_

"What day are you talking about?" Hinamori asked with genuine innocence, blinking in perplexity.

"The day we were in the Seijoutou-Kyorin," the green-eyed genius replied, the blood within him beginning to boil and his reiatsu rising just slightly. "You heard it all, and from Aizen's mouth no less."

"Ichimaru was forcing him! It was definitely that! Aizen-Taicho could never do something so horrible!" she defended the traitor heedlessly.

Frost began to appear on the walls. "How can you believe that so easily?" he demanded. Hitsugaya refused to let his temper win this battle. Nonetheless, he certainly was far from winning.

"I have faith in Aizen-Taicho," Hinamori snapped quickly, glaring at her oldest friend, as if he were doubting her loyalty to her captain.

His eyes turned down to the sheets on the bed, his expression dark. He lost the fight. His temper had won.

Hitsugaya hissed his next words quietly, but made sure she could still hear him. "_And where was your faith in me?_"

-

I didn't think that that stupid strawberry would have such an effect on me… Why the heck should I miss him at all?

Rukia was slowly making her way to the fourth division, but she was pondering on the way. She had gotten so used to being around that dumb substitute shinigami that it felt strange going more than a day without him. She hadn't even stayed in Karakura that long! How had this feeling of longing arrived in the first place? It had felt like this when she'd entered the shinigami academy as well and had been separated from Renji, but for some reason, being apart from Ichigo felt…so different. _This_ emptiness was so foreign to her.

Ichigo was just so fun to be around, although she would never admit it. Recently, she had made a habit out of pissing him off, which would usually lead to verbal fights that, she conceded, were quite entertaining. Plus, she actually really did like his hair…

The raven-haired female turned a corner only to see Kira in a headlock, receiving an intense noogie from her old friend. The blonde appeared to be dazed, lethargically trying to stop Renji from doing further damage to his skull. Raising an eyebrow, she brushed the stubborn bang in the middle of her face to a place that was a little more comfortable as she approached the two vice-captains.

"Really, Renji, what are you doing? Bullying comrades again?" she asked with an amused stare.

"You heard about Kira's orders on the day of the 'incident,' right?" Rukia nodded as the redhead finished inflicting pain on Kira. "Yeah, so _this_ idiot is still blaming himself for it."

The petite shinigami crossed her arms. "That's still bothering you, Kira? Why? You were just following orders."

"Whasat?" the drunk male inquired slowly. "Yeah… Orders 're nice…"

Ignoring the last comment, Renji released Kira from his hold. "See? Even Rukia doesn't think it's your fault. Man, news spreads fast, doesn't it? I bet the only people who'll see it the other way are the Hitsugaya-Taicho's fan-girls."

Both shinigami were now at attention. "He has fan-girls?" Rukia asked in disbelief. Come on, she knew Hitsugaya-Taicho was _cute_, but _fan-girls?_

"Yeah," Renji nodded almost jealously. "They call themselves the 'Followers of Hitsu-sama,' and it's freaking annoying. Those chicks carry around every picture and article about Hitsugaya-Taicho they can get in that stupid magazine that Hisagi runs."

"How ya even know dis, Rengi?" the wreck of a man questioned him, collapsing against a wall. "Ya gossip wif da girlies?"

The question seemed to embarrass the aggressive lieutenant as his face flushed red. "NO! I do _not_ gossip, and it's Ren_ji_, not Rengi! I see those creepy females when I go to Rukongai every few days, jeez."

Rukia realized something and several large sparkles appeared in her eyes. "Do they have a Chappy fan-club?"

"No, but they do have a ryoka fan-club for Ichigo. Seriously, what the heck? What's so good about that stupid strawberry anyway?" he demanded to no one in particular. "They keep saying that he's cool and everything. Man, they go on and on about his 'hot body' when they don't even know his damn name!"

"Well, _someone_'s jealous," she taunted him with a roll of her eyes, slightly disappointed that there was no Chappy club.

"I'M NOT JEALOUS!"

"Yeah, y'are. Even I can tell and I'm not even so…so… Hey, what was that word?" Kira mused airily.

"Sober," she supplied.

"Ah, das right… So-bur…"

Rukia laughed lightly at the two second-seats. Poor Kira. He wasn't dealing very well with what had happened a few days ago, but he seemed to be a little better when he was with friends. Of course, it could just be the sake…

"Rukia-chan!"

She turned to see her cheerful captain holding up an insanely large bottle of water. Wait, she thought he was sick today! What was he doing bouncing around Seritei with a huge jug of liquid?

"Ukitake-Taicho," the female greeted him, bowing respectfully, "ano…what are you doing with that…? And shouldn't you be resting?"

"Oh, I'm grateful for your concern, but I'm feeling much better now! I was just heading off to the candy store to buy a 'get well' present for Hitsugaya-Taicho. I know how much he likes his sweets!" the longhaired captain informed the group. Suddenly, the man blinked and it appeared as if he'd just realized something. "Right, and this…" Ukitake put down the massive water bottle on the ground, "is for you! It's important that you keep up your fluids when you're regaining your reiatsu!"

Her eyes were wide as she looked at the present, only nodding dumbly.

"All right, then, I'll see you later, Rukia-chan! You too, Kira-kun, Abarai-kun!"

Finally snapping out of her dumbfounded trance, she bowed once again. "A-arigato, Ukitake-Taicho!" Rukia said before gazing numbly at the "gift" she had just received. "How am I supposed to drink all of this…?"

Renji gave her a feral grin while Kira sent her a blank look.

"Heh, I've got an idea that'll put it to better use," the sixth's Fukutaicho cackled, lifting up the heavy container.

She watched in amazement as the water was dumped all over Kira's head, drenching the guy from head to toe. Rukia took a step back to avoid being caught in the onslaught of liquid.

"WHAT THE—RENJI! I'M GUNNA KILL YOU!" the blonde threatened as a vein popped up on his forehead.

"Not drunk anymore, are you?" Renji smirked.

"Oh, yeah, guess you're right,"

"Pretty good use," the short shinigami laughed, splashing between them. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go to the fourth division barracks."

She could feel Renji staring at her back for a moment before he burst out, "Oi! Wait! We'll come with you!"

_See? I don't need you to fill this void!_

Rukia sighed at herself quietly.

_Liar._

-

His words stung as soon as they hit her ears. Hinamori flinched and backed away involuntarily. Everyone seemed to be against her lately. Unohana, Renji (who had nicely pointed out to her that Aizen really _was_ a traitor), and even her own zanpakutou! Now Hitsugaya was against her too! She didn't even know what she'd done wrong! All she'd done was listen to her captain, and nothing was incorrect when she listened to her captain! Aizen-Taicho was the wisest of anyone! Hinamori most certainly did have faith in Shirou-chan, but what Aizen said would always be right.

"I-I _do_ have faith in you, Hitsugaya-kun!" she shielded herself with a low voice, unable to meet his eyes.

"Oh yeah, you displayed that tremendously well when you attacked me," Hitsugaya retorted coldly.

Hinamori could feel her fingers becoming stiff with frost coating them and she knew she had somehow angered him—truly angered him. The short-tempered boy that she'd lived with as a child constantly yelled at her and scolded her, but the words had never been serious. This time, however, she could feel his frustration and rage radiating off of him. This time, it was different from all the others.

"I'm sorry…" she whimpered quietly, unsure of what else to say. "I just… I was so confused…"

She heard him sigh as her eyes continued to gaze at the plain floor. _Please don't be mad, please don't be mad, please don't be mad…_

"I…know. I'm sorry too," Hitsugaya replied as a shaky breath left his mouth.

So at least she had Hitsugaya back on her side again. Hinamori didn't want to fight with him. He was her best friend, after all. He would definitely understand how she felt, right? He would agree with her when everyone else had given up on Aizen-Taicho, right?

"Ne, Shirou-chan, you don't believe what everyone has been saying, do you?" Hinamori asked him.

He visibly tensed, not even bothering to correct her by repeating his title. "What are you talking about?"

"Aizen-Taicho! You don't think he's really betrayed Soul Society, am I right?"

Hitsugaya turned and faced her, slowly and solemnly. "I have absolutely no reason to believe in him either," he told her truthfully.

She gasped in offence for her beloved Aizen. "Aizen-Taicho has only ever been kind to you, but you're siding with everybody else? How could you?" Hinamori shrieked in disbelief. She could handle everything up until her silver-eyed companion showed his distrust for the sinister man. Glaring indignantly, she huffed at him. She wouldn't tolerate this insult to her captain! "You're horrible! I'll never forgive you for this!"

"So you're still defending him?" He laughed bitterly, sending a chill up her spine. "I should've known. You're too stubborn to listen to anyone about Aizen."

"The only one that I'll _ever_ listen to is Aizen-Taicho!" she shouted angrily. She'd believe in Aizen forever and for always.

"Screw that bastard! He tried to kill you!" he shot back furiously.

"Ichimaru made him do it! I know he did!"

Hitsugaya shut his mouth finally before calmly saying, "You will never realize the truth, even if it stands before you."

She was now seething with anger and couldn't take his rude comments anymore. Hinamori pulled the trigger. "What do you know? Aizen-Taicho is a better captain than you'll ever be,"

Her words caused him to jerk forward in shock, and before anything could come out of his mouth, Hitsugaya keeled over on the bed. She stood, frozen, as his wound reopened and blood spilled out, red contrasting against the white sheets. He began to cough violently and a crimson liquid spattered from his mouth.

An image of Aizen's bloodied body strewn out on the wall appeared in her mind and she screamed loudly. All over again! It was happening all over again!

As soon as reality returned to her, she found that Aizen was nowhere to be seen and then remembered that he was safe. The room was now filled with several fourth division members and Matsumoto came in as well. However, Hinamori was dragged out by the busty Fukutaicho and into the hall.

Matsumoto's face was filled with a calm resentment as she spoke to Hinamori. "Don't come back here again," the woman hissed venomously, "_ever._"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hm, actually, now that I think about it, there's more Hitsu-whumpage in the next chapter. This one didn't have much... xD

Chapter 5: A pretty angsty chapter, in my opinion, but I'll let you decide that for yourselves. Most of it is just to establish that Hinamori is currently not herself.

Reviews and constructive criticism blows my mind into writing mode, so please, do so. :D Thanks! (Hehe, there will be a laptop on the trip...)


	5. The Friend That Was

**Disclaimer: **I think we've established that I don't own Bleach, okay? Good. So no more disclaimers. They suck.

**Author's Note:** Oh man, it's been a whole three weeks. I can't really apologize. I've been _way_ too busy for a fifteen-year-old. This is what happened: Relatives, vacation, school, clubs, more relatives, school. Uh huh, so the last three weeks have been pretty hectic for me. Anyway, HOLA MOLA! An _IMMENSE_ thank you that only I can offer, mmkay? Here's a pretty angsty chapter! Love you guys!

* * *

**Perfect Timing **by HawkofNavarre

**Chapter 5 – _The Friend That Was_**

* * *

Renji tugged at Kira's sleeve and stepped back, taking his equally as frightened companion with him. It was one thing to be around an angry Rukia, but to be around an angry Rukia _and_ Momo? This day couldn't get any worse. Well, luckily, the Chappy loving shinigami was only irked with him because he'd called her short again. However, she was too occupied with trying to calm down Hinamori to give him the deadly kick in the shins she usually presented to him.

Hinamori was ranting about something to do with Matsumoto. Raging, storming, thundering, screaming—basically anything he could think of she was doing as long as it had something to do with anger. Kira, Rukia, and himself had been heading for the fourth division barracks together but were stopped by Hinamori, who was already fuming at that time. She had been screeching endless insults directed towards the tenth's Fukutaicho and hissing about how nobody had the right to offend Aizen.

Frankly, Renji was pretty sure that his good friend had gone completely mad.

"Hinamori-san, please calm down!" Rukia was desperately trying to placate the shouting vice-captain, but it didn't seem to be working too well. In fact, it didn't seem to be work _at all._

"Really, who does she think she is? _Don't come back here, ever!_" Hinamori mimicked the strawberry-blonde in a more high-pitched voice. "What kind of authority does she think she has? Huh? _Huh?_"

"Just take a moment and—"

"And Hitsugaya-kun! He thinks he can just say something mean about Aizen-Taicho and get away with it! Nobody can! Nobody can!" she continued, huffing all the while.

Renji nudged Kira in the stomach lightly, only to get the man's attention. "Don't you think…it's like Aizen's put a spell on her?" he asked quietly, looking to Kira for an answer.

"Yeah…" the other male agreed, still looking at the rambling Hinamori. "I was worried that she would be one of the people that would be angry with me, but…this isn't her. When I look at her, I'm confused."

"We both know that she's the kind of person that needs an anchor," Renji added nervously, "and her first anchor was her obaa-san, right? Then it moved on to Aizen, and she's definitely not letting go any time soon."

"She admired that man more than anything in the world. She may never wake up and see reality," Kira admitted, looking down now. "I mean, I know how she feels. I never thought that my captain would…"

"It was hard for you too, wasn't it?"

"…Ah."

Kira had admired his own former captain a great deal, but not to Hinamori's calibre. He'd listened to Ichimaru without question, though apparently, Kira had only agreed to follow the last orders issued when he was guaranteed that Hinamori wouldn't be harmed. The blond was supposed to have distracted then tenth's captain and lieutenant for a bit while Ichimaru showed Hinamori "something," as Kira had been informed of exactly.

Now that only the aftermath of the events remained, they all knew what had happened. Unohana had question Hitsugaya almost immediately after he woke up, but not so much that it would be strenuous to his body. "Something" had clearly been Aizen, alive and well. Renji was seriously pissed at that man now. He'd already been battered and bloodied too many times that week, and then _Aizen_ had to just show up and do it again. Every nice thought about that captain had been thrown out the window without hesitation. Oh—and he'd betrayed Soul Society. That was pretty bad too.

Hisagi had probably reacted the best out of the three whose captains had turned traitors. While Kira had moped and drank _a lot_ of sake (though Renji didn't really appraise the man since he was feeling bad about multiple things) and Hinamori refused to believe anybody except her captain himself, Hisagi had simply been very quite. He wasn't sure, but there had been rumours that the tattooed seventh's vice-captain had been hanging around Komamura-Taicho recently. Renji figured they'd had a few good talks and then they were both okay.

Hinamori, on the other hand…

"She can't tell me that I can't see Hitsugaya—that stupid little prodigy!" she yelled angrily as she stomped her foot on the ground like a child.

"That was a paradox," Kira pointed out, mostly to himself. He wasn't insane enough to risk having his head cut off by the irrational female.

"Hinamori-san—" Rukia attempted frantically.

"You know what? I'm just going to go back to the fifth division! I don't need any of this!" she snarled to nobody in particular, or possibly an image of Matsumoto.

They other three shinigami watched in silence as the bun-haired girl made her way passed them and towards her squad grounds, leaving an almost visible trail of fire behind her.

"Man, what the heck happened in that room?" Renji mused in amusement, crossing his arms.

"You wanna know what happened? Oh, I'll _tell_ you what happened,"

The trio turned around at the voice. There, standing tall and flushed with fury, was their wonderful Matsumoto Rangiku.

-

He felt liquid drip down his chin, he felt liquid run down his back, he felt liquid dribble down from his chest, and he felt pain. It was excruciating, like an enemy had roughly ripped the skin off his wounds with fingernails. He was almost certain that someone had just stabbed him again, but there was no knife or attacker.

There was only Hinamori.

He felt himself choking and coughed desperately, trying to catch his breath. He rolled over to the side, holding his neck and emptying whatever was stuck in his throat. Air… Air…

_I need air!_

There was no air. None. He continued to gasp for oxygen, but there was only one thing: blood.

He could see the red that was now on the floor, bed, and his hands, albeit his blurry vision. There was too much blood. There was too much pain. There was too little air.

And then there was the screaming. It wasn't his own scream, but a female voice. It pierced his ears and made him want to die… He didn't want to hear it… It was too much…

_Make this go away!_

_Make this go away!_

It didn't.

-

Kira realized that this wouldn't be the best time to apologize to Matsumoto like he'd been planning to. It would be best, he decided, to leave it until later, when she wasn't handing out death threats and curses. Unfortunately, he didn't feel like dying today. Maybe tomorrow—or a gloomy rainy day, but definitely not today. Today was a day for…cowering. Yes, some good cowering would do just fine…

Unlike Hinamori, Matsumoto was deathly calm, save for also looking ready to embed her zanpakutou into someone's stomach. Her fists were clenched and her arms were shaking violently. Murder could very well be in their day schedule.

"That… That…_wench_, nearly killed my captain again," she explained in a trembling voice. "It's been a _week_ since his last near-death experience, and then Hinamori, who _claims_ to be Taicho's childhood friend, tries to finish off Aizen's job."

All of them were astonished. "_Huh?_"

"Taicho had just woken up and been questioned before the _wench_ came in. He was supposed to have been healed almost fully by the fourth division after that since they hadn't done it yet. It didn't matter at the time. But Hinamori…she said something Taicho responded badly to, and all his wounds opened up," Matsumoto finished, contained anger ready to explode. She let out a cry of frustration and dented the wall beside her with her fist before sinking to the ground, hands covering her face.

It took Kira just a minute to realize that she was crying.

"Matsumoto-san!" Rukia gasped, rushing to the Fukutaicho's side. She knelt down and rubbed the weeping female's back.

"T-there was so much blood!" the strawberry-blonde cried. "Why does it have to be him!? He's just a kid! I don't want to see him hurting anymore!"

Kira knew she was right. No matter how you looked at it, Hitsugaya was still very young. His height was a certain sign that he was still just a child, and his personality, although toned to seem more mature, still contained his original traits, like Hitsugaya's temper. You could always tell he was an adolescent even though he was also a genius.

"Who the Hell is she?!"

"What?" Kira blinked in confusion.

Renji looked solemn, as if the world had fallen onto his shoulders. He was beginning to look very much like Matsumoto had at first. "Who is she?" he repeated, more softly this time to himself.

"Matsumoto Rangiku," the blond answered, still bewildered as to why Renji was asking such a bizarre question.

"No," the sixth's Fukutaicho denied, shaking his head, "not her. Hinamori… I feel like I don't know her at all anymore."

It was quiet, but Kira knew they were all thinking about the same thing. What Renji had just said was completely true. Momo was like a stranger to him and everyone else now. Actually, it had started a long time before Aizen's betrayal. When she had joined the fifth division, Hinamori had turned into a work hog. She'd turn down chances to hang out with her friends to do paperwork for Aizen, skip out on their lunches to work on her Kidou and Zanjutsu so she could get a higher seat, and never attended their late night drinking parties so she had more time to run errands for her captain. Aizen-Taicho, Aizen-Taicho, Aizen-Taicho… There was rarely another topic for her.

"The Hinamori I knew would never have yelled like that," Renji stated sombrely, referring to the last time they'd seen her. Earlier, the exact same thing had been mentioned, but now that they knew the events that had gone on in Hitsugaya's room, everything turned out to be even worse than they'd thought. "I need to know. I need to find out. Coming, Kira?"

He turned and started walking away from the fourth division. Their mission to speak to Hitsugaya had evidently ended.

"She wouldn't have hurt Taicho like that!" Matsumoto wailed loudly, latching on to Rukia's shoulders. "But she did! I-I…don't want him to hurt anymore!"

"Momo-chan…" Kira whispered to himself, following after his depressed friend. "What happened to you?"

-

It was all a haze to her. Hinamori's legs had begun to move on their own. The last week had been like this to her. Faded…dark…like she didn't have any control over herself. She just wanted Aizen-Taicho… She wanted to see him, too feel his warmth and everything that Aizen would do.

Hinamori finally realized that she was at her captain's quarters. Her heart skipped a beat as she recalled the night before she saw him dead on a wall. She'd slept here that night, wanting to feel the comfort of her caring captain's presence, though she hadn't meant to. It had been a lovely night…

Reaching for the door, she found herself wishing she could go back in time, and not for the first time. She slid it open, finding it exactly the way it had previously been. There, Hinamori took a graceful step into his quarters and stood in the middle, basking in his being, although he wasn't really there. The table he'd been writing on…her finger grazed the surface, recalling the strokes of his brush and everything in between.

"Aizen-Taicho…" It escaped her before she even knew it, thinking she'd seen him at the table. The vice-captain figured she had to be going crazy. She wanted to find him… Dying would be better than living if she couldn't.

"_Momo-chan! Get a hold of yourself!"_ Tobiume was screaming to her, but the voice sounded distant and fuzzy. _"What has that man done to you?"_

"Aizen-Taicho…" she said again, louder this time, however. "Come…back…"

He turned in his chair and smiled gently at her. "Hinamori-kun, you must avenge me. You know who killed me… You know…"

"No! Aizen-Taicho! You're not dead!" Hinamori shouted in panic, shaking her head. "Come back!"

"Kill him… Kill Hitsugaya for me, Hinamori-kun!"

"I can't! Hitsugaya-kun is my childhood friend, and you're alive! I can't kill Hitsugaya-kun!" she told him, hoping he would forgive her. Why, though…why…

Why was Aizen-Taicho acting this way?

"_Momo-chan! Stop! You're imagining things!"_

She woke up and found that she was still in her captain's room, curled up on the floor behind his desk. Tears filled her eyes, miserably remembering that Aizen-Taicho wasn't here.

"Aizen-Taicho, where are you?!" she screeched from the ground, twisting her limbs closer to herself. He had to come back. Aizen-Taicho just had to come back.

-

There was so much _pain._ Hitsugaya opened his eyes quite reluctantly, his eyelids feeling almost as heavy as a ton of ice. There was no one else in this room when he looked around. White, white… He lay in this loathsome room all-alone, a vision of Hinamori appearing before his eyes.

Hinamori…

It hurt so much, more than he thought it would. Protecting her… He had never thought it would be like this. He'd sworn to himself that he would do whatever it took to keep her safe, but he had always thought it would be better than this. She was like his sister, and that was why it shouldn't hurt this much. Siblings, even if they were best friends, would eventually move on to someone else. Hinamori had clearly moved on. The only difference between them was that he hadn't…

…Right?

It was so lonely—and it wasn't just in the room. Life after death seemed so…_empty_ when he didn't have Hinamori to protect. Maybe he had other friends around, but there was no purpose for him in Soul Society when he didn't have his childhood friend to protect, and the fact that she didn't need him anymore killed him, the fact that she'd much rather have Aizen save her when she was in peril tore into him like needles, and the fact that he wasn't done needing her made him feel more pathetic than he ever thought he was.

He wanted to kill himself.

Never, ever, had it crossed his mind until now, but killing himself make him stop feeling this way. There would be no more suffering, no more of this horrid room, no more getting in the way of Hinamori's true desires—all of it would stop. Time would freeze for him and it would all fade away.

However, he couldn't do it. It was selfish of him to even think about it. Hitsugaya wasn't about to forfeit his Taicho's position when three captains had already turned against them. To impose a new captain on Matsumoto after what she'd just been through would be cruel as well. The truth was, though, he couldn't do it, because if he died, he wouldn't be able to see or protect Hinamori anymore. No matter how much it hurt him inside, Hitsugaya could not abandon her. It was fine that she didn't need him, and that she needed Aizen instead, but he would be there to make sure she wasn't harmed by the person she loved most.

He felt something stab his heart. That was right… Aizen was the person she loved most.

Stop it! Stop thinking!

Hitsugaya almost wished that the bastard would die a very slow and painful death, yet if that wish came true, Hinamori would be sad. He didn't want to see her cry anymore. He was already in enough anguish, and to see her tears would only spawn more within him.

It was all so exhausting. He didn't want the pain anymore, but for her…

For Hinamori, he'd endure all of it.

-

Being in Aizen's room had made her feel a lot better, but Hinamori still had a whole bunch of pent up anger inside of her. The fifth squad's training ground had been totally empty when she got there, and she was glad. There wasn't going to have to be any holding back this time. She was going to let loose all her emotions through a violent way: Kidou.

Hinamori raised her arm, opening her hand to reveal her bare palm and aiming at the target in front of her. Spiritual energy flowed into her hand as she formed it into one concentrated beam. "Hadou 31: Shakkahou!"

Fire burst from her hand and flew mercilessly at the target, successfully roasting it out of existence. She wasn't done yet.

"Shakkahou! Shakkahou! Shakkahou!" she shouted, each time taking out a different target. This was no problem for a Kidou master like herself.

"Hinamori!" two voices interrupted.

The dark-haired female was angry at the sudden interference. She was not going to let this go. The only person in Soul Society _or _in the material world that could bother her was Aizen-Taicho! Some clueless morons did not have the right to be here! How _dare_ they interject in her affairs! Those revolting animals would pay dearly!

Hinamori whirled at the couple of intruders, ready to fire off her next attack. "Shakka—"

Renji and Kira. What… What was she doing? Was she just about to attack her two friends? These were people who cared for her, who only wanted what was best for her! What was she thinking? Or…she hadn't been thinking at all.

The look on their faces was what she was feeling inside: pure shock. She'd even _known_ that it was they. Their reiatsu had been completely detectable, yet she was ready to blast them with all she had. This was not Hinamori. She didn't attack random people if they came around. She wasn't… She wasn't…

She _was not_ like Ichimaru Gin. Hinamori did not betray her friends.

"I-I'm sorry!" she apologized quickly, unable to fathom what she'd nearly just done. It was scary that she had been about to fry her friends without even first identifying them. Hinamori was a person who could recognize a reiatsu signature in her sleep! How did she ever make such a mistake?

"Hinamori…" Kira mumbled, looking down, and disappointment was clearly evident in his expression.

Renji, however, was much more straightforward. "Hinamori, I think we need to talk."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Soooo? Hope you liked it. :) Chapter 6 is currently in the works, and school is evil. That is all.

Chapter 6: Conversations between Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, the aftermath of Hinamori's almost-attack, and Rukia worries.

Press the review button and write your thoughts please? It would make me oh-so happy! :)


	6. Stranger to Me

**Author's Note:** Ah, it's been awhile, but don't you ever think I've given up on a story! For those of you who live in Canada, it's Thanksgiving Day! And my update if my thanks to all my supporters out there! I can't write without you guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Happy Thanksgiving, fellow Canadians, and if you're not Canadian, well then, have a good day!

**I am thankful for** _fanfiction_, this site, my _readers,_ my **_reviewers_**, _Namimakura_ (her writing motivates me!)_, Bleach_, my _family _and_ friends_, and so on...

* * *

**Perfect Timing **by HawkofNavarre

**Chapter 6 – _Stranger to Me_**

* * *

She was distraught. Matsumoto didn't know what to do with her emotions right now. How did her captain learn to be so compassionate? A kid his age should still be selfish, caring more for himself than anyone else. Yet…Hitsugaya was so altruistic, and Matsumoto hated this about him. She didn't _want_ him to care about her more than himself. She didn't even want him to care about _Hinamori_ more than himself, although he obviously did. He was such an idiot! He was such a moron!

When she reached Hitsugaya's room, she opened the door to see him staring blankly at the ceiling. The tired female knew he was thinking as she leaned against the doorframe, sighing quietly. Matsumoto crossed her arms and watched the boy in silence. The room was still, save for the small movements of his chest that were necessary to breathe.

"Matsumoto," he began, his voice cracked and broken, "What do you want?"

A moment of stillness passed through the room. She…_was_ here, and she didn't even know why. It was true that she was worried for her captain—Matsumoto had been fretting all week—but she had come back the next morning when she knew he didn't want company. His sheets had been cleaned after she'd left yesterday, the blood staining it now gone from the room.

It wasn't as though Hitsugaya had sounded mean when he asked her that. It was a flat, straight-out question, but she really didn't have an answer for it. Maybe she could that it was because he was her captain or that she was worried for him—both of which were true. However, it wasn't the _real_ reason the strawberry-blonde had come here. The answer was _somewhere_ in her head. She just didn't know where. Actually…

"Why are you doing this?" Matsumoto blurted out with no self-control. _That_ was why she came here. She wanted to know why he was hurting himself so much.

"Doing what?" the silver-haired shinigami shot back, not even shifting in the least.

Tensei—genius. Did he think he could fool her? Hitsugaya was regarded as one of the greatest prodigies in shinigami history in both brawn and brain. Playing dumb? Well, he was out of that technique's league. Hitsugaya Toushirou _always_ knew what you were talking about.

"Stop it, Taicho. I'm through with watching you get hurt!" she declared truthfully. "I can see her words hurt more than any of your wounds!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hitsugaya hissed, finally moving to look away.

Why did he have to be so damn stubborn?! She was just about ready to scream her lungs out because he was so frustrating! If he wasn't willingly going to talk to her, she would _make_ him, or at least force him to hear her out.

"Doesn't it ever matter what she says to you?! Can't you feel it digging into your skin?!" the vice-captain demanded, piqued by his indifference.

"Anything she says to me doesn't affect me in any way!" he lied hastily, pushing himself to sit up, his face contorted in pain.

Her back fell against the wall in shock. How could she be doing this? Matsumoto paused for a bit, appalled that she was doing the very thing she was against. The strawberry-blonde promised herself that she would cause him anymore suffering… Yet here she was, ready to push in over the edge.

I'm…upsetting him because of my own feelings. I have to stop. He doesn't need any more burdens.

"I'm sorry, Taicho," she apologized slowly, afraid of what he might or might not say next. Matsumoto knew she should be punished. In fact, she pretty much _wanted_ to be punished. Retribution was fine with her as long as he forgave her. The last thing she wanted was his silent rage. That was the only thing she didn't want. Besides, it was rash mistake on her part. She hadn't meant to get so riled up, or to raise her voice at him.

"About what?"

The lieutenant bit her lip as water began to cloud her vision. She pounded the wall, mumbling profanities under her breath.

_Stupid Taicho! Why are you so understanding?_

Hitsugaya was pretending that she hadn't done anything. Nothing. She put him through pain and he didn't even want revenge. He was just a kid. He was _still_ just a kid. The snowy-haired captain had a right to be unreasonable, but he barely gave that a thought.

"Blame someone! Blame _me!_ I don't care! I don't want to see you suffer anymore!" Matsumoto confessed distressfully.

The bedridden shinigami's eyes widened when he heard this before they closed again. "There's only one person I will ever blame, Matsumoto."

Between her tears, she heard his unspoken words. _The only person I will ever blame is Aizen Sousuke._

-

"There's nothing to talk about," Hinamori snapped, eyes flashing dangerously.

Renji was pretty nervous, if he was being honest. Mood swings were never good when paired with women. Seconds ago, the girl had looked shocked with herself. Now, all remorse was gone from her face.

Meanwhile, Kira wasn't helping at all. He was either more afraid of Hinamori than himself, or still had that dang crush on her. Renji thought that thing for her had died out after the academy though… It seemed he might be wrong.

"You realize that you nearly just fried us with a Shakkahou, right?" the redhead asked in disbelief. Actually, when he thought the Kidou attack might hit, he was freaking out inside. Hinamori's Kidou _really_ hurt since she was a master at it. Renji did not enjoy being on the receiving end of that.

"So what? You could've easily evaded it!" she growled, rolling her eyes.

Yup, something was _definitely_ up. He needed to find out.

"Why are you acting like this?" Renji demanded as Kira's head snapped up to attention. "We almost lost Hitsugaya-Taicho again and you don't even seem to care!"

"Be quiet! Hitsugaya-kun made Aizen-Taicho leave! It's all his fault!" Hinamori shouted, clearly showings she'd been experiencing delusions.

"Momo-chan! Calm down!" Kira finally yelled in concern for his two friends. Neither of them had ever seen her look quite so frightening or angry. That look of hatred on her face was not one that was familiar to any of them.

"No! You're all on his side! You all wanted to make Aizen-Taicho leave!" the disoriented female screeched within her own mix of hysteria. Her arm was raised in a flash, open palm facing out in front of her. "Shakkahou!"

Renji barely had time to register exactly what was happening, but instinct allowed him enough time to rely on reflexes and hit the ground at the last minute. Kira had done the same, yet his dive had been almost too late. The redhead could see the edge of his shihakushou had been singed like wood.

He looked up at the confused Fukutaicho standing ahead of him. Her eyes were wide with horror as she lifted her hands in front of her face. Hinamori's arms shook violently as she stared at her hands before her knees bent and fell to the ground. Her mouth was open slightly, but no words emerged from her lips.

Hinamori had just tried to kill her friends, and Renji was shaken to the core. She was so broken inside that she couldn't even identify the ones who cared for her anymore. The red beam was certainly meant to harm, with so much heat and power charged into it. The fact that she'd shot to kill was scarier than anything.

"W…" the black-haired vice-captain began in fear. "What…did I just do?"

-

Rukia was lost in her thoughts as she wandered around the halls of Seritei. She had no destination. All she could think about was how messed up everything was here. The petite shinigami was sure that Hinamori was in some sort of shock. Rukia had to admit, she hadn't really made any good friends after she had been adopted into the Kuchiki clan, and she and Renji had just sort of started drifting apart after that, but she still had some friends. While her relationship with Renji had been faltering, Hinamori had been one of the only females who had been friendly to her in the academy, even though she was in the advanced class. All the other girls had been envious of her status and made her out to only be a shinigami because she became a noble. It was true, she conceded, that she had been weak until she finally met Kaien-dono, but Hinamori had never looked at Rukia like the others. This time, however, Hinamori was in trouble and Rukia was going to be there to help her.

The bun-haired girl was not going to leave this situation unscathed, and that was for sure. Rukia knew someone would have to step in soon, or the Soutaicho would. She, and everyone else who cared for Hinamori, did not want that to happen. Yamamoto was a ruthless man who thought very highly of himself. If the fifth's vice-captain did not stop her Aizen obsession soon, the old man might deem her a traitor and have her locked up, as Rukia had been not to long ago. Then, the order might never be reversed unless they found solid proof that Hinamori was actually _not_ a traitor. It was a blessing that Yamamoto-Soutaicho hadn't done anything yet.

Hinamori wasn't the only one having problems. Everyone was on edge. The tension was thick in Seritei after losing three captains. One captain had nearly died, her Nii-sama had fought until he was bleeding to death, and…

Rukia placed three fingers on her chest, breathing deeply as she remembered Aizen's hand tearing right through her. The memory still frightened her, the image of the traitor drawing the Hougyoku from her body. However, the wound was gone and the moment had passed. There was no need to be scared anymore. Shinigami were not supposed to get scared.

She shook the thoughts from her head and focused back on getting Hinamori's issues straightened out. There had to be _something_ she could do. Rukia had already burdened so many people…

_Ichigo… I wish you were here…_

The young noble realized what she was thinking and scolded herself. She'd chosen to stay here. She had no right to yearn for his presence, nor did she need it.

Rukia exhaled sharply. Again. Why was she telling this to herself again?

_Stop lying to yourself._

"Kuchiki-san!"

Finally, her period of thinking ended. Hisagi was coming up behind her, she found, and she noted that he wasn't wearing a grim face like everyone else had been for the last week or so. After turning to face him, she bowed politely.

"Hisagi-Fukutaicho, do you need something?" she asked the tattooed man.

"Yeah, I just wanted to know if you would like to drink with us tomorrow night," he replied, scratching the back of his head, as if that were an embarrassing question.

"Us?" the small female questioned in return.

"Well," Hisagi began, clearing his throat, "everyone looks like they're going to going to fall apart any minute, so I thought I'd organize a get together for the lieutenants—you know, to lighten the mood."

Rukia smiled at his consideration. "It'd be a pleasure to come, but…"

"But?"

"With all due respect, why are you asking me?" she enquired in slight confusion. "If it's for lieutenants, I shouldn't be invited at all. So why?"

He simply grinned at her cheekily. "We all think you _should_ be one of us."

"_Eh?_" Rukia was gaping in shock and disbelief.

Hisagi turned and walked the other way, waving a hand over his should as he did so. "At six tomorrow night, okay? Don't forget. Oh, and there's no need to be so formal either," he told her loudly, retreating quickly.

"H-hai, Hisagi-san!" she obeyed with reluctance.

This was a very strange occurrence and had made no sense whatsoever, but she'd take what she could get. It was true that everyone looked pretty miserable, and she _was_ a friend of a few of the vice-captains. She'd take advantage of the meeting and drink until she forgot that Ichigo wasn't there.

Oh, jeez. She was thinking of him _again._

-

This time, it _had_ happened. This time… This time…

"_No_!" Hinamori screamed as she fell to her knees, clutching her head. "I don't understand anymore!"

She could hear her name being called by different voices, but they were all distorted in her mind. Only one stood out from the rest.

"Hinamori-kun! They helped kill me too! They all wanted to kill me!"

Aizen's voice rang in her ears, beseeching her to kill them all—just as it had done a moment ago, and she had nearly complied. Over and over again he would tell her that he was dead and that everyone else but her had been part of the reason. Hinamori knew, though, that Aizen was alive. Her beloved Aizen lived! She'd seen it with her own eyes…right? Or was he dead; murdered by Hitsugaya and the rest of Soul Society? None of it made sense anymore. She saw him, he told her, but what was true? Her captain wouldn't lie to her—he never had before, and the thought that he would was simply appalling, so it had to right, what he said. No, that wasn't right. Aizen-Taicho was alive, and he was coming back for her. But…what if he wouldn't come back because Renji and Kira were still breathing? Maybe she had to kill them? No! Aizen-Taicho would never approve of something like that! Who was right?! Nobody was honest with her anymore! Hinamori had to fend for herself!

"I'm with you, Hinamori-kun, but you must kill them!" her superior told her.

"Stop it! That's not right!" Hinamori screeched desperately, shaking her head in denial. "It can't be right!"

"They killed me, they murdered me!"

"No! They didn't! You're still alive! You must be!" the delusional vice-captain protested.

"I bled…"

"Stop!" she shouted to his warm yet deadly voice. She could see him on the wall, impaled by his own zanpakutou.

"I bled…all of it…"

"You didn't! You didn't! _Stop!_" His eyes were lifeless. The blood dripped down the white wall like water in a river. There was no colour in his face.

All over again. It was happening all over again. Again… Again… Again…

"I bled…all my blood…"

"_NO!_"

And he was dead. Aizen-Taicho was dead. Motionless, lifeless, full of cold… Aizen was dead on the wall, and his blood was everywhere.

-

"Taicho, I'm going now," Matsumoto informed him with a small smile. "Take care. I'll be back tomorrow."

Hitsugaya sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Moving was a lot easier now, with the exception of his torso, since he'd been healed a good ways by the fourth squad. He wasn't about to let Matsumoto slack off, even if she was going through a hard time. This way was normal. This way was better for both of them. "Tch, don't waste your time coming here. You need to watch the division while I'm out of commission."

She pouted, getting into their regular routine. "But _Tai_cho! Our third seat can just—"

"No, go watch the division or I'm confiscating all your sake."

Matsumoto raised an eyebrow. "You don't know where—"

"Under the couch, third row on the bookshelf behind the books, and behind my desk drawers," he listed without a second thought.

Her mouth was wide open in shock. The snowy-haired boy smirked at her ignorance. He'd found those hiding spots _years_ ago.

"You know, I think I'm going to go back to the office and find some new places to stash my sake," Matsumoto announced and sped out of the room.

Now he was berating himself for his _own_ stupidity. He'd have to find those new hiding spots when he got out of here. Speaking of getting out of here…

Unohana's words echoed in his mind. _"You will not be leaving this room until I see fit, and that is at least a week."_

Hitsugaya was just about ready to throw Hyourinmaru at something—until he realized, that is, that the fourth division's captain had also taken his frosty zanpakutou when he'd awoken. This was sweet. It really was. He had nothing to throw, nobody to talk to, and nothing but a white wall to stare at. In fact, he was beginning to think that the wall was plotting something…

Crap. Being in this room was making him crazy. Walls did not plot. He seriously needed to get out of here. The word "escape" registered like Kidou blast through the brain and a plan was hastily put together.

The silver-haired shinigami measured his reiatsu, hoping it would at least leave him enough energy to initiate his plan. Luckily, he'd have enough to start, but the action would have to wait until tomorrow night. This room was a horrible curse. He could be patient if he knew he would be getting out _somehow._

Hitsugaya raised his hand to his chest. First step: speed up the process. A green light lit up beneath his palm and a soft sensation seeped into his body. The members of fourth division weren't the only ones who could use healing Kidou.

-

It had been several minutes since Renji and Kira had brought Hinamori into the fourth division after she'd had some sort of hysterical fit that was followed by fainting. Unohana had grabbed the female right away and rushed to a nearby empty room. They hadn't heard anything since, and Renji was getting restless. Before, he'd continually unsheathed the top of Zabimaru and then clicked the blade back in its original enclosed container. However, the baboon was getting irritated with the action and so Renji'd had to stop.

He glanced over at Kira who was twitching nervously, diligently fidgeting with his fingers as they both waited for the results of Unohana's examination. Great, the guy was more shaken than Renji, and that just wasn't right. There was too much mental damage done to _everyone_ right now.

The door in front of them creaked open slowly, as if it were there specifically to make the suspense deepen. From there, the captain of the fourth stepped out gracefully, a grim look on her face. Her hands were tucked in the opposite sleeve, but she lifted a hand to greet them. Were they finally going to get the results?

"It seems," she began as Renji and Kira took a step closer to the woman in expectancy, "that Hinamori-Fukutaicho may have to be imprisoned."

…_What?_

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well, you'll be glad to know that Hinamori's not going to be insane for _too_ much longer. Give it a couple of chapters, and the romance shall really begin! Haha! Hope you enjoyed! (Sorry for any spelling or grammar errors too. xD)

Chapter 7: Hitsugaya puts his plan to action and the vice-captains get drunk, _very_ drunk.

Reviews and constructive criticism highly appreciated! A cookie for all those who reviewed last time, and pie for those who review this time!


	7. Cry of Despair

**Author's Note: **Long time no see. xD Anyway, some of you (or none of you) might've wondered where I've been. Well, it's called life, and recently I haven't had any motivation (from readers and reviewers…etc.) to update this story. I think it's because my writing class is sucking the creativity out of my writing brains. I'll understand if you feel like throwing rotten vegetables at me. :D

**To the reviewers:** I'm most sorry that I can't offer you a longer and better chapter, but chapter eight is almost done and will hopefully be up soon. I apologize to those of you who always put in a word for my efforts. The sad thing? I've had this one written for three weeks and I never updated. Okay, who feels like throwing rotten vegetables at me now?

**

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Perfect Timing **by HawkofNavarre

**Chapter 7 – _Cry of Despair_**

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It felt so cold, like and icy fluid seeping through her bones. With as much strength as she could muster, Hinamori lifted her head in confusion. She didn't understand what had just happened. It… No, it couldn't be this way, could it…? It wouldn't be his face she saw. Not a chance.

However, when her eyes were set upon his glistening glasses, she knew she was wrong. But…it was impossible. He wouldn't do something like this to her, ever. He was a kind man; softer and gentler than anybody else she'd ever known. He wouldn't cause her to feel this way. He wouldn't…yet when she looked down at her hands, crimson liquid stained her skin—blood, her own blood.

And he was standing there calmly, a sinister frown upon his usually smiling face. Where was the warmth? Where was the kindness? Her heart only beat faster as the horrendous image clouded her vision.

That was the last thing she saw.

"_Hinamori! Open your eyes!"_

"A-Aizen-Taicho!" Hinamori gasped in fear, clutching the white sheets of the bed hard enough to make the colour in her knuckles fade.

"_Are you okay?"_ asked Tobiume worriedly. _"I could feel your unease as you slept."_

"I-I… I h-had a-a dream…about A-Aizen-Taicho…" the dark-haired shinigami stuttered, still shaken from the nightmare. She was finally sure of this: Aizen had tried to kill her in her dreams.

"_What was it about? You might feel better if you tell me,"_ the female zanpakutou advised in concern for her master.

Hinamori knew that her companion was right although she didn't want to think about the seemingly real incident. It was only now that she realized how utterly terrified she'd been in her vision, and it occurred to her that she couldn't stop trembling no matter how much she wanted to. "He was…k-k…killing me," the bun-haired girl confessed as frightened tears began running down her face. She hadn't known they were there in the first place.

"_Momo-chan…"_

"Aizen-Taicho was killing me!" she cried quietly, whispering harshly under her breath.

"_He's not the man you think him to be, Momo-chan. That's the truth…"_ Tobiume honestly informed the sobbing shinigami.

"He must be! He _must_ be!" the Fukutaicho convinced herself, trying to persuade her zanpakutou at the same time. "There are no men or women as kind as Aizen-Taicho!"

"_Momo—"_

"It was just a dream," Hinamori chanted aloud to herself. Even though she could hear the words, the anxiety and doubt built up within her. "It was just a dream, just a dream…"

Or was it really?

-

"Unohana-Taicho…" Renji began reluctantly, "please tell me you're kidding."

The captain shook her head remorsefully before glancing to the side, lowing her voice so that only the two men could hear her. "As long as Yamamoto-Soutaicho does not ask me of her condition, I can keep her situation concealed, but if he does, I will not lie."

"Wh-what exactly _is_ Hinamori's situation?" Kira asked desperately. Renji could tell that he wasn't the only one that was worried about the results of Unohana's tests. Things were turning out to be going from bad to worse.

"Aizen has prepared her for this. He victimized Hinamori-Fukutaicho so much as to make her suffer even after his betrayal," she explained with a sigh. "If the Soutaicho finds out her condition, she may very well be viewed as a traitor."

"And that's why she might get incarcerated…" the normally loud vice-captain finished, biting his lip nervously. Pent up anger and frustration burst from him and he slammed his fist in a nearby wall. He was hissing lowly, annoyed and aggravated with the current state of affairs. "What the hell can we do to prevent it? I'm not going to let her get thrown in a prison again, especially if it's the same one Rukia was tossed in."

Unohana offered him a soft smile. "It is simple. You must cure her from this image of Aizen she is obsessed with."

"A lot harder than it sounds," mumbled the third's lieutenant.

-

"Drinking? Tonight?" Matsumoto repeated Hisagi's words.

It was now the afternoon and she'd just been in to see her captain. He had acted strangely when she walked into the room. His hand had been at his chest and she felt reiatsu lingering in the room. Really, it was quite worrisome, but Hitsugaya had continuously assured her that it was nothing she had to worry about—or stick her nose in, for that matter. How in the world was she supposed to not worry? He'd nearly died twice within the last two weeks!

"Yeah, what do you think? I was hoping a few of us could have a chat. Besides, I think everyone needs to get something off their chest…" he explained, his voice getting softer as he spoke.

Matsumoto looked at her fellow vice-captain, examining his downcast face before she smiled lightly. "Aw, Shuuhei! You're so considerate! How sweet!"

"W-what?!" the scarred male shouted, flinching. "I'm not sweet! What are you saying?!"

"It's so adorable! Who would've thought, Hisagi Shuuhei, the cold lieutenant, is actually a big-hearted softie!" the strawberry blonde exclaimed with humour in her voice, fanning herself from her intense laughter.

"S-s-stop!"

She only laughed harder. Eventually, her fits of giggles died down enough for her to start speaking again. "You know, being thoughtful and considerate isn't something to be ashamed of, Shuuhei."

"Sure doesn't sound like it when _you_ say it," he muttered sulkily, still flushed from embarrassment.

Her hand came down on his back and nearly knocked the wind out of him, smiling good-naturedly. "Anyway, I'd love to come!" she accepted with cheer. It would be nice to have a drinking party with friends again, especially after all the tension of the last couple of weeks.

…And she had an ulterior motive. Sake was the only way she could escape from the worries that had developed while the stressful days went by. Hitsugaya didn't want her to worry, right? A little alcohol would definitely help.

"Great, see you there," Hisagi called as he left, finally regaining his breath.

Matsumoto sighed. Things would've been so much easier if nothing had changed.

-

Hitsugaya was attempting to keep his nerves in place. It felt like they were severely frayed after Matsumoto's morning intrusion while he had been doing some self-healing. Of course, if she ever knew he was doing that (he was supposed to be recovering his reiatsu steadily after the massive damage to his soul), she might have Unohana put him in a spiritual pressure sealing room. The snowy-haired male loathed those rooms more than he hated this one. Those things made him feel like a dragon in a cage.

Despite the consequences of getting caught, he'd used the bit he knew about healing Kidou to mend the rest of his skin and a little deeper. The fourth division had taken care of his back earlier, since that was where Aizen's zanpakutou had first pierced. Just thinking of that asshole of a man was enough to make Hitsugaya want to punch a wall, but he resisted. The captain knew his strength was still at a minimum.

He hesitantly slid off the bed he'd been lying on for so long and was relieved to know that his legs could still remember how to stand. Taking a few steps around the room, he figured he had enough strength to run and jump across rooftops, because he was really going to need that power if he was going to get where he wanted to go. Hitsugaya was weary of these surroundings. He wanted to go somewhere that he could relive happier memories…

He shook his head. It wasn't the time to think about such things. The dragon was escaping now, but not without Hyourinmaru. Although his reiatsu control wasn't as thorough as Hinamori's, he could still keep it low enough to appear as if he wasn't even in the room. Only a skilled shinigami would be able to catch his signature, and they would have to be concentrating to feel it.

So, Hyourinmaru was in Unohana's office. He had to make sure she wasn't in there first. After putting on the top layer of his shihakushou (he made sure to leave his captain's cloak. He didn't want to be noticeable), the young shinigami opened the door just a crack and peeked out. It was just his luck, seeing Unohana walk by with Kotetsu Isane unsuspectingly. He'd have to sneak by everyone else as well. His silver hair and, well, his height were a big give-away to his real identity.

Hastily, Hitsugaya confirmed the path he would have to take to get to his zanpakutou and estimated the time it would take to reach the room. He was fortunate. His room was only two halls away from Unohana's. He did a quick double check, his head inconspicuously sticking out from behind the door before dashing out.

The incapacitated captain took a right turn and spotted one of the fourth division's shinigami walking down the corridor, facing away from his direction luckily. She didn't know what hit her when he pressed a point on her neck, effectively causing her to faint. As she crumpled to the floor, Hitsugaya took another step, ready to run again.

He faltered, wincing slightly.

His chest was throbbing painfully, but he ignored it like a captain would. It wasn't hard to figure out that part of his wound had opened up again—in the front, he felt, and that he had began to bleed some more. The icy death god cursed inwardly, scolding himself for not knowing that this much exertion of energy would cause his sloppy healing to be proven useless. No, Hitsugaya wasn't going to let this injury destroy his mission.

Pressing hard on the opened cut, he dashed down the halls empty of people. Great, he was beginning to go in circles now. Finally, the corridor to Unohana's office proved to be empty and he took his chances without a second thought. It was now or never.

A satisfied feeling bubbled up within him as he made it to his fellow captain's door. Hitsugaya slipped inconspicuously into Unohana's office and found a whole pile of zanpakutous were sitting by her desk, but he dared no approach it yet. Who else was in here? He spotted the blond hair of a man whose name he couldn't recall, but the young shinigami was quite sure it was the fourth's third seat. The awkward man was emitting some sort of strange noise… Oh, he was snoring, and sleeping like a baby, now that Hitsugaya actually thought of it.

_What a moron…_ was the only thought that crossed Hitsugaya's mind as he sweat-dropped in relief. It was less to deal with.

Swiftly, the small captain shunpo-ed across the room for safety, still keeping his reiatsu at a minimum as he had before. Hyourinmaru, being a special zanpakutou as it belonged to one of captain class, was separate from all the other blades. He slung the sealed sword across his back and climbed through Unohana's window, making sure that the third seat was still fast asleep, which he was, thankfully. As he leapt from the window, he silently welcomed his zanpakutou back.

"_It is good to see you are well, Toushirou,_" the ice dragon growled, Hitsugaya feeling very gratified that the presence of the great spirit had returned.

"So what'd you like better? My back or Unohana's desk?" he asked mockingly, jumping up to the roof and finally leaping passed the barrier of the fourth barracks. It was a relief to be free of that wretched whitish place. He was no longer repressed of freedom unless he was caught. Hitsugaya could go where he wanted.

Hyourinmaru simply snorted and ignored the question, instead replying to the icy boy's later thoughts. "_And where would that be?_" he questioned the captain.

"The place with the best memories," he replied softly, smiling lightly.

-

Matsumoto opened the door to the bar and Rukia stepped in behind her almost immediately. Renji, Kira, and Hisagi were already there, apparently waiting for the two that had just entered. She briefly wondered if any of the other lieutenants were coming, but she really doubted it. Choujiro would never be seen at a place like this one, Omaeda only cared about himself and eating, Isane was way too busy, Hinamori was totally out of the question, Tetsuzaemon didn't want to bother with them, Ise didn't drink like her captain, Nemu only listened to her father, and, well, though the thirteenth squad didn't have a vice-captain, Rukia was here, mostly because she was affected by the betrayal more than the rest of her division. Yachiru…Matsumoto didn't want to think about what would happen if Yachiru got drunk. The candy was already bad enough.

"Yo," Renji greeted, lifting a hand in welcome.

"Hey," the tenth's Fukutaicho said back as she took a seat beside Hisagi. Rukia echoed her and sat next to Renji, ordering some light sake.

There was a while of just silence, the sound of glasses hitting the table only coming to her as she got lost in her drink. Beside her, she listened to Hisagi order another bottle of sake—her favourite kind, at that. Why wasn't anyone saying anything? The silence was driving her insane. It left her to her own thoughts—thoughts that always led to Gin. She loved him, but…how could she possibly love a traitor? It was disgusting, despicable. Traitors shouldn't be loved.

"Hinamori…needs help," the redhead suddenly commented aloud before he poured his shot glass's contents into his mouth.

"She needs to get her screwed up mind back in order," Matsumoto hissed almost spitefully, downing her own glass hastily. Hinamori's name only sparked the image of her broken captain, lying in the fourth division.

"It's not her fault. She just believed in Aizen so much that…" Kira defended the absent vice-captain.

"I don't _care_ if it wasn't her fault! She's over a century old! She should have better judgement!" the strawberry blonde sneered drunkenly.

Rukia, the most sober at this point, shook her head. "You care for your captain a great deal, Matsumoto-san, and Hinamori's the same way, but think about what Aizen did to her. She thought he was dead when he wasn't, and that was revealed to her. Hinamori's mind must be completely broken. I'm willing to bet that Aizen has used Kyouka Suigetsu on her more times than we can count just to manipulate her…"

"Aizen's such a bastard," Hisagi threw in darkly.

"Manipulative…" the sixth's vice-captain trailed off.

"Evil…" Kira added.

"Traitorous…" the petite shinigami stated.

"Sly…" said Matsumoto quietly as a flash of a person appeared in her mind.

"Hurtful…"

"Greedy…"

"Sadistic…"

"Foolish, clever, confusing," the buzzed lieutenant listed. "Selfish, deceitful…"

"Matsumoto-san?" Kira started in concern.

"That idiot…left me all alone. He didn't care at all, even if he left my heart broken and forsaken," she laughed bitterly. "Was I just a pawn to him? Did he ever tell me the truth? Did I even _know_ him?"

The space between them was quiet, all eyes on Matsumoto and hers staring solemnly at the table. Hisagi reached for her should, but the stubborn shinigami shook it away. They weren't talking about Aizen anymore, and everyone knew it, because Hinamori wasn't the only one that had been deeply affected by the betrayal. They all knew that Matsumoto had been hurt just as badly.

Matsumoto wished she hadn't said anything in the first place, but when those words touched her ears, she knew that they all described Gin. The anger she felt towards him seared through her veins and her rage seemed uncontrollable. She needed to fix things. They needed to be fixed.

-

"You are free to go—for now, Hinamori-Fukutaicho," Unohana told the mentally exhausted female with a slight smile. It was barely noticeable. "Please take care of yourself and don't do anything rash. Straight to your quarters now, and do not raise your zanpakutou until your state of mind is stable. I know that Aizen…Taicho's departure has troubled you."

Hinamori nodded and thanked the kind captain before she began walking slowly back to her home. The wooden paths weaved together and she stopped at an intersection. The world had never been so confusing to her before. How could the bun-haired vice-captain forget her way around? She shook her head and closed her eyes, breathing deeply to try and recall which way she was supposed to go.

Her eyelids lifted and Aizen appeared on the path to her right, beckoning her to follow. This was all she needed to chase after the image of her captain. One foot stepped to the right side, but the other refused to move. She shook violently as her nightmarish dream occurred for the second time…except…she didn't even know what she was seeing. There was Aizen's smiling face, his warm, loving, and welcoming smiling face, yet there was nothing else she could see besides book—her own blood, not her captain's. But…why was she bleeding? She gasped for air lightly as he opened his mouth to speak.

"_Arigatou, Hinamori-kun."_

Hinamori's breath had become ragged when she finally opened her eyes to the empty three-way split she stood within. Abruptly, the young lieutenant turned to the left path and began shakily walking. She remembered the correct path, and Aizen's was not the correct path.

…Right?

Finally, she reached her destination. Hinamori pressed the hilt of her zanpakutou to the seal on her door while channelling a bit of reiatsu into her blade and it slid open. One step inside and she closed the door before she collapsed against the inside wall, dropping Tobiume to the ground. The floor was shaking—no, _she_ was shaking, and she couldn't stop.

It was because of Aizen. He had done this to her.

_No! Aizen-Taicho would never do that to me!_

So why did it seem like her faith in her beloved captain was faltering?

A knock on her door woke her from her stupor. Hinamori stood up hesitantly, still trembling, and slid open the door.

"I've been waiting for this day," Matsumoto announced soberly, a glare fixed upon the blonde's visage, "the day that I get to say everything I want to you and Taicho isn't here to stop me."

"W-what?" Hinamori stuttered uneasily.

"Hinamori Momo, I'm going to tell you _exactly_ what I think about you," the tenth's vice-captain hissed venomously.

**

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Author's Note:** Please don't kill me. :D

Chapter 8: Matsumoto finally confronts Hinamori and Hitsugaya finds himself in a worse situation than a horribly white room.

Feedback highly appreciated (AND motivational. –Laughs nervously-)!


	8. Shaken

**Author's Note: **Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it... Sorry about that. I have no problem writing the chapters in my notebook, but when it comes to typing it up, I get uber lazy. Oh my... I cannot _believe_ that it's been over two months. Haha... Luckily I noticed that my internet was still on today, so I have my chance to finally update! Please refrain from murdering and excuse any spelling/grammar errors. Thank you.

**To the reviewers: **My _deepest_ apologies. I wasn't sure how good this chapter was going to turn out when I wrote it, and it became a chapter with some really angsty parts and some really stupid parts (meant to be humorous, because it is to _me_ at least). I appreciate the reviews and words of encouragement so much! I'd give you all Hitsugaya plushies if I could (and I can't, because we must all face that I'm not rich)! I would love for you to keep reviewing in the future. Thank you _so_ much. A lot of angst here for those who like it!

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**Perfect Timing** by HawkofNavarre

**Chapter 8 – _Shaken_**

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The small house he used to live in was gone, but he still remembered it all when he was here. When Baa-chan had gone, Hinamori and Hitsugaya had burned their old home down with her so that at least the old woman would leave for the material world with the house she'd lived in for so many years. He remembered crying that day when Hinamori had turned away, and wiping away the tears before she had turned back. She'd been crying quite openly, but he'd never showed anyone else his tears. His eyes had been dry ever since.

However, the memories before that were all so wonderful. They sat on the porch and watched the sunset together while Baa-chan was preparing dinner and they'd have watermelons for a snack. He'd spit seeds at Hinamori and she'd chase him around. They were such good memories…

How nostalgic…

Hitsugaya stood in front of a field of fresh grass. It had been long enough that the place where their house had stood had grown anew. He took a step forward; not for the first time wishing he could reverse time. Dark was falling, but all he needed was the comfort of his memories and the tranquility of their old home.

A piercing roar ripped through the air.

The boy-captain's eyes widened as he spun around. He hissed when a claw tore through his back. Hitsugaya cursed and shunpo-ed away; he was so caught up in the peace that he hadn't even noticed the approaching reiatsu signature that he didn't recognize. Hyourinmaru was taken from his sheath and the shinigami prepared himself for battle.

There was pain at his back as blood leaked from his wound. A sharp shock flew through his body suddenly, causing his to lose his composure. He coughed endlessly. More crimson liquid.

The hollow laughed loudly. "The shinigami is already so weak? It won't be very fun to eat you," it stated tauntingly.

Hitsugaya glared at the white-masked face and gangly body. "Don't underestimate me," he growled spitefully, even though he was becoming weaker every moment.

"I don't need to, shinigami," the lost soul cackled, "I can _see_ you."

An image flashed through his mind and he stood, frozen. More came, and more and more until he feel to his knees, panting for air.

"Stop…" the shivering captain whispered. "Don't—don't show this to me!"

The hollow laughed harder, and Hitsugaya clutched his head and screamed.

-

"I never though I'd see Rukia drunk…" Renji admitted while he watched the short shinigami giggle uncontrollably. She stopped, poked her glass slightly, and then burst out in another fit of laughter.

"Me either—do you think she'll get violent?" Kira asked, recalling the day that Matsumoto had been so drunk that she'd slapped him the face.

"Kuchiki can't hold her liquor, so I wouldn't put it past her," Hisagi commented with a sweat drop. The girl was on the verge of falling over on her stool.

The girl succeeded in stumbling off her seat and grabbed onto Renji's hair roughly. The vice-captain yelped, jerking backward when he was pulled. Kira and Hisagi managed to grab onto his arm before the redhead was on the floor.

"RED!" Rukia squealed in amusement. "RED hair!"

"Uh, yeah! You can let go of the red hair!" Renji demanded frenetically.

She only tugged at his tied hair more vigorously. Renji thought his roots were going to rip out.

"Kuchiki-san, please let go!" Kira pleaded on behalf of his friend's dying hair. The hyper drunk reluctantly let the ponytail slip out of her hands, apparently still able to comprehend words, and pouted before she hopped back on her stool.

Renji sighed in relief, keeling over on the table and staying very, very still.

"I want…my strawberry!" Rukia whined as she jabbed at her glass again. The small female huffed into the air and then rolled to her side without grace. "Ichigo!"

"Ryoka?" Kira whispered to Hisagi in confusion. The other vice-captain shrugged.

"He saved me! Raided Soul Society _just_ for me! Boy, was he hot there…"

Renji suddenly shot up from his seat and stared incredulously at his childhood friend. She kept sitting there as if she hadn't noticed his movement at all—and it was possible that she hadn't, but this was the strangest thing he'd ever heard come from her mouth. Not to mention the fact that she was saying _girly_ things in front of the guys. He twitched, just a little.

"I wish Ichigo were here right now…" she mumbled out in intoxication. Her eyes drooped shut.

"Kuchiki's got a thing for the orange-haired ryoka?" Shuuhei asked rhetorically.

"How would I know?!" the sixth's vice-captain shouted in agitation. He grabbed Rukia and threw her over his shoulder, a bubbly giggle escaping her throat. "I'm taking Rukia back to her house!"

A surprising shock went through his head at that moment, feeling a familiar reiatsu signature begin to rise to extremely high levels. His eyes widened as he froze for a moment, turning to his fellow shinigami. Similarly, they had looked in the direction of the spiritual energy. It was then that a death butterfly flew into the bar hastily—faster than he'd ever seen. It fluttered over to his drinking buddies and began relaying its message.

"Hisagi-Fukutaicho and Kira-Fukutaicho, the Soutaicho has given order for you to investigate the situation at hand. Use force if necessary, but bring Hitsugaya-Taicho back alive," it reported.

Renji stood, paralysed in astonishment. How had Hitsugaya-Taicho managed to escape the fourth division barracks in his condition _and_ get that far out in Rukongai under the radar? Although his reiatsu control was exceptional, it wasn't good enough to get around completely unnoticed. Frankly, the lieutenant found it amazing.

"Kira, we gotta go. Who knows what might've happened?" Hisagi stated as he dashed out the door.

He nodded to his partner before looking back to Renji, saying, "If you have time and can find her before she feels it too, check on Matsumoto-san, please."

The tattooed male nodded grimly, knowing that if he hadn't been ordered, Kira would have done the requested task himself. The blond clearly still felt somewhat guilty for the tenth division's condition. However, it was unlikely that Matsumoto would miss her captain's rising energy, and if she hadn't felt it yet, she definitely would in a few minutes at the very least. What a situation…

Renji was left in the bar without friends—besides a drunken Rukia who had previously been babbling about her _precious_ Ichigo, but she was unconscious now, luckily for him. With annoyance, he then realized his fellow vice-captains had left him with the tab. He winced as he opened his wallet, a dark hole forming where his cash had previously been while he threw a few bills on the table, sighing tiredly.

"You're missing a couple," the bartender told him lazily. "It shouldn't matter anyway. Shinigami are loaded!"

_This old man needs to get his facts straight,_ Renji thought as he glanced at his empty wallet.

"Don't worry, Jenri! Chapspy has money…" Rukia slurred from his back, causing him to jump a little. He'd thought she'd passed out from the alcohol a while ago!

To his further surprise, a small bunny pouch landed on the floor by his side, something that he recognized to be the girl's wallet, and picked it up.

"_I_'ll treat, Jenri-chan! You can count on Chapspy!" she exclaimed happily, squirming a little and accidentally elbowing Renji in the back.

The irked Fukutaicho flinched as her arm dug into his back, but opened the wallet gingerly. It just wasn't right to have a girl pay the bill. He couldn't accept it, no matter how many people thought chivalry was dead. It was simply _rude_ to make a girl pay, and he wouldn't stand for it!

Renji unclipped the top of the wallet, mentally reminding himself to remember to pay her back later and the wallet practically burst open. He stood there in disbelief at the insane amount of cash that was being held in the little pouch. There were bills and coins nearly shooting out at him.

On second thought, I think I'll take Rukia up on that offer…

He carefully extracted two bills from the wallet and put it on the table, wondering what his wallet would look like if her were a noble.

-

"_Aizen-Taicho…" Hinamori gasped in happiness._

"_You bastard, leave her alone!" Hitsugaya shouted in a mix of rage and fear._

_Aizen grinned evilly, holding a hand out for his former vice-captain to take. The bun-haired girl moved forward, toward her captain's out-stretched hand. Hitsugaya tried to move, but then discovered he couldn't. He shouted too, but his words seemed to fall on deaf ears. He could not be heard by any, and it was frustrating._

"_I love you, Aizen-Taicho, and no one else!" she declared, almost flying into his arms._

_The words echoed in his ears, again and again, and he fell silent, feeling shattered and broken. This couldn't be real… He couldn't be standing here and listening to these impossible words._

"_And what of Hitsugaya-kun?" the traitor asked mockingly, as if he knew the small captain could hear all of this._

"_He's nothing to me!" Hinamori shouted in assurance to her obsession._

"_Don't…show this to me…" he whispered brokenly, his heart throbbing fiercely in his chest._

"_So prove it, Hinamori-kun," Aizen said, looking down at her in feigned tenderness. "Kill him."_

_He held his breath for the moment._

"_Yes, Aizen-Taicho," she obeyed quickly before turning around and looking directly at him, apparently noticeable now._

"_Don't show this to me…!" the icy male whispered more harshly this time._

_She drew Tobiume and slowly walked towards him without hesitation, ready to bleed her best friend's blood in order to prove her love. He wanted it to end so badly. He wanted it to end more than he wanted his life, but nothing stopped. Nothing._

_The blade ripped across his throat, and it burned at his neck, searing into his skin, but she wasn't done. Hinamori fingered the blood on her zanpakutou as he fell to his knees, then, with an innocent smile, trailed a line of the crimson liquid upon her face in the shape of a heart. There was delight in her eyes when she lifted Tobiume again, piercing his flesh, then his heart and continuing through until it burst through his back. _

_Hitsugaya unleashed an inaudible scream. He wished he could die, but death refused to come. His vision was blurred and his breathing had halted, yet he couldn't die. No, he could still see through his darkened, lifeless eyes._

"_Hina…mori…" he rasped out hazily, watching her retreating back in so much pain there was nothing that could describe it._

"_Wonderful, Hinamori-kun," Aizen laughed in pure pleasure. "I believe you deserve a reward…"_

_Hinamori's eyes lit up in euphoria, dashing back to her captain with bloodstained robes. She threw her arms around him as best she could while he cupped her cheek with a devious grin, leaning down and edging closer to her face by the second._

"_Stop…" Hitsugaya pleaded into the air. He chest felt like it was about to explode and his eyes were burning with lost tears. This hurt too much. He couldn't bear it._

_She reached up and pressed her lips against her beloved captain's in a passionate kiss before going in closer for more._

_He heart beat painfully and time stopped as he witnessed his childhood friend do what she'd so desired to do for years. He felt like pieces of shattered glass that could never be fixed, and then… he felt like nothing at all. Fog blew through his head, the scene before him repeating over and over again. There was pain, there was sadness, there was anger…_

_And then there was simply death._

-

Hinamori hit the back wall of the room roughly, Matsumoto advancing on her without mercy. The bun-haired girl didn't know why her fellow vice-captain was here, but she could tell that Matsumoto had been drinking by the red tint in the strawberry blonde's cheeks. There was so much anger there that Hinamori was frightened by what Rangiku might do.

"What are you doing here at this hour?" she asked nervously. If the woman was drunk, she'd have to escort her home. "Please tell me that you're not drunk, Rangiku-san."

Matsumoto glared. "Oh no, I'm not drunk. In fact, I'm more sober than I've ever been," she explained in a defiant voice.

"Then…why are you here?"

"Hinamori," the tenth's Fukutaicho began, "we've been friend for a pretty long time, and I've never said a word about your obsession with that _bastard _traitor—"

"Rangiku-san—"

"Shut up," she commanded disdainfully, shooting a raging look at the smaller girl. "I've never told you about how much all your friends hated your obsession with Aizen, but you've crossed the line with it."

Hinamori was shocked. For several years, she'd believed that everyone had felt just as admiring toward her captain as she was, yet all her companion actually felt completely opposite of that? It seemed too unreal. Aizen Sousuke was such a wonderful man that it was hard to believe the words that had come out of Rangiku's mouth.

"But Aizen-Taicho—"

"Just _quit_ it! He's not your captain anymore and your stupid addiction to his nearly killed _my_ captain, who just happens to be your childhood friend and the person who cares about you the most in the world! The only one who doesn't seem to realize this is you!" the busty female exploded furiously.

"No! Aizen-Taicho—"

"That bastard never cared for you!"

"You're wrong! He still cares and always will!"

She felt a swift hand fall across her face, her head turning to the right. Hinamori froze in shock, unable to figure out what had just occurred. It had all happened too fast for her. It stung, like thorns prickling against her face.

"Wake _up_, Hinamori Momo," Matsumoto told her harshly. "Look at who he was and look at who he _is_. They are two totally different people, and you just parade around as if it doesn't matter at all."

Hinamori didn't need to consider Rangiku's words, because deep down, she'd already known that Aizen-Taicho never existed. She was just too afraid to admit it herself. She had depend on him for so long to be her role model that the fact he'd never cared for her or Soul Society's well-being was too much to bear. The memories of being independent of his presence were so far away it felt foreign to her. She couldn't give up just like that… She wasn't strong enough.

"You were just a pawn in his plans like the rest of us," the woman continued with cold contempt in her voice.

She shook her head firmly. Yes, denial. It was all she had left.

The strawberry blonde snickered and walked a little to right. "I thought you were better than that."

"But I'm not!" Hinamori cried without contemplating her actions. "Aizen-Taicho—everything he did…and everything he stood for…they're what defines my being! If what I see in him is gone, I have nothing left! I _am_ nothing then! I'd had no purpose anymore!"

Matsumoto turned around and knelt in front of her. She could feel herself shaking violently as she demanded an answer from the offending vice-captain. She had to know if there was still a reason she was left in this world, away from the captain that had ruled her life. Hinamori had been abandoned, and though she was forsaken, she still had her faith left. It was the only thing she could cling to. A hand was placed on her shoulder and she curled up tightly in her position.

"You will never be nothing. Never," she placated Hinamori sternly, "and you have a purpose no matter what you believe. You have all of us behind you—me, Renji, Kira, all the other vice-captains and captains support you too, but you can't let Aizen hold you back. Even if you feel like you're alone, there is always someone that needs you, and that is your purpose."

Hinamori shivered lightly, tears staining her eyes and soul. Did she really not need Aizen to go on? Was it true that all her friends supported her, despite all the horrible things she had done to them recently? There was no way…

"Nobody needs me. It's just…a lie, all of it," she growled firmly, trying to convince herself the most.

Matsumoto looked amazed. "Is Aizen really all you believe in?" the taller woman snarled, ferocity present in her voice once again.

"Even if it were true, that you all stood by me, that I'm needed in Soul Society," Hinamori began with a broken voice, "I don't think I could ever face any of you again. Aizen-Taicho—everyone hates him! There is no forgiveness in that!"

"Fine! Be a coward and keep holding onto whatever faith you have left in him, but you _are_ needed, and I'm not going to just let you discard the thought without fair consideration!"

"W…what?"

"Taicho, he _needs_ you. _You_," the tenth's lieutenant informed her indignantly. "He thinks he's strong—that he needs to protect you, but maybe it's time he stops. May it's time for _you_ to protect _him_!"

"What are you saying?" she shouted in bewilderment as Shiro-chan's smirking face appeared in her mind.

"He lied to you to save you, to keep you in that little world that revolves around Aizen day and night, even when he was hurting himself in the process!" she retorted, standing up and punching the wall as hard as she could.

Hinamori still didn't understand.

"Ichimaru Gin did not put Taicho in that coma."

Her eyes widened in realization. "N-no…!"

"_Aizen_ did."

-

Matsumoto stared at Hinamori as the girl shook her head and covered her ears in fear. Looking at this, she was afraid that Hinamori would never be able to fathom the truth and that her captain would have to suffer forever. She had to be able to do more than just this!

She hit the wall, startled and suddenly filled with anxiety. She felt it, as plain as day. "No, Taicho…"

Her captain had clearly escaped from the fourth division barracks and was somewhere in Rukongai, but that wasn't what worried her. A simple tracking and scolding would deal with the situation if Hitsugaya were being sloppy with his reiatsu. However, that wasn't the case. He wouldn't reveal himself without a reason.

_He's not revealing his position,_ Matsumoto realized as his signature became even more visible in her mind. _Taicho's releasing his Bankai!_

-

There was nothing left of him. Everything he had been was nothing more. She had left him for the man who'd betrayed her and she no longer wanted anything to do with him. He wasn't needed anymore.

_No, you weren't needed in the first place._

"_Toushirou, stand!_" he could hear Hyourinmaru call, but it seemed so distant and meaningless. The dragon was his partner in battle, yet there was no reason for him to fight anymore.

There was only time to die.

"_I did not choose such a weak host! Now stand and vanquish your enemy!_"

Hitsugaya obeyed this time, opening his eyes to a scene where Hinamori was gone. The hollow stood above him, ready to condemn the icy captain to death. The occurrence with Aizen had not happened. The zanpakutou piercing his skin and slashing his throat had not happened. Hitsugaya snapped from his reverie.

The kiss had not happened.

A sword came down to his chest and he rolled away to avoid the blow, landing nimbly on his feet. His mind felt drained, but he had enough strength to go on. He had to overcome this threat. With Hyourinmaru clutched tightly in his hand, he began to raise his spiritual power.

"BANKAI!"

Petals of ice appeared above his head as the frozen liquid crept over his body, wings sprouting on his back. Hitsugaya faced his nemesis, both hands around his zanpakutou now. "Daiguren Hyourinmaru."

"Very impressive…" a familiar voice giggled. Again he saw the female he held so close to his heart. "…Shirou-chan."

**

* * *

Author's Note:** And that's the chapter! Hopefully that was enough angsty-ness to satisfy you all. Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors. I wanted to get this out as soon as possible... Anyhow, thank you for reading!

Chapter 9: Hitsugaya faces off against his toughest opponent yet (er, I mean besides Aizen) and Hinamori finally chooses between the two people she holds closest to her.

Please review! (Although I can't make you or offer anything else other than another chapter and my gratitude.)


	9. Shattered Shields

**Author's Note:** Nope, not dead yet. Just too lazy to type for…uh, five months. xD Sorry. I don't even know how long I've had this chapter done, and last night, I finished chapter 10 (which is pretty long, by the way, and not typed). BUT, it's nearly summer now, and I'll be done with exams soon, so I guarantee that next chapter will be up sooner. My apologies for the disgustingly long wait…

Oh, and thank you so much for the reviews!

**

* * *

Perfect Timing **by HawkofNavarre

**Chapter 9 – **_**Shattered Shields**_

* * *

A dark wind blew between the fighters. Ice filled the air, creating a frozen atmosphere around them. The captain shifted his footing slightly, glaring at his opponent and panting, puffs of vapour disappearing in front of his mouth. There was no way he could lose.

"Who are you," he demanded, icy breaths exiting his lips. A hazy mist swirled around his body as he glowered at his enemy. He couldn't afford to underestimate someone who could read his soul.

"No name can describe me, but I am of the Espada race, created by the great Aizen-sama and sent here to do my worst upon Soul Society," the demon explained. "I enjoyed watching you suffer in your worst nightmare, Little Taicho."

"You disgust me," the captain spat in revolt, a little irritated that the Espada—or something—had used the same name Ichimaru used with him. "I hope you're prepared to die today."

There was a vile look in the eyes of his opponent as a cackle rose from the creature's throat. A cracked mask covered most of his face, save for his mouth, which held its shape in a devious smile. His clothes were whit, fitting his lanky body perfectly. Hitsugaya gathered his strength, unable to figure out how to kill this guy. The young captain's eyes were caught by the small hole in the creature's chest.

"I am the most powerful creation of Aizen-sama! My powers are based on his zanpakutou, so I wouldn't be getting so confident if I were you, Little Taicho," the arrogant Espada countered.

Hitsugaya closed his eyes in concentration, trying to ignore that stupid name he was being called. This was Aizen's most powerful creation? No, it was impossible that the man use someone so competent so carelessly. _This_ guy was definitely not the strongest. Aizen wouldn't be so conceited as to send his most powerful asset into Soul Society alone. Obviously this creation had been fed lies.

"Your powers mean nothing," the silver-haired male retorted in slight annoyance.

A loud laugh escaped the mouth of the hollow. "How audacious of you! Though you seem to be forgetting that I can see your biggest weakness. Hinamori, is it?"

Hitsugaya swallowed in shock as his childhood friend appeared in front of him. He shook his head fiercely, attempting to remember that Hinamori was not here. Hinamori was lying in recuperation, across Soul Society, far away from here. Far. He felt for her energy, for reassurance. She was not here.

He nearly went into a panic when he found her reiatsu signature approaching. Now it wasn't about her being here, because he knew the Hinamori he was seeing right now wasn't real, but she was coming, and she could get hurt. Not to mention the fact that Aizen had already broken her mind… Hinamori needed to keep away from here. It was simply too dangerous.

"You're weak, Hitsugaya-kun."

She swung at him and he managed to block the attack just in time. He'd barely convinced himself that it wasn't her. The voice was so real—too real. This whole ordeal was too much for him.

"Quit messing with me!" he growled furiously. "Hyourinmaru!"

His reiatsu rose to an amazing level and the air became colder still. Water froze on the spot and formed into shards of ice. Hitsugaya glared and thrust his blade ahead, solid icicles charging at the hollow.

Hinamori was there for a split second, but he ignored it with all his will power.

"DIE!"

-

Hinamori shook her head furiously. It couldn't be true. It simply couldn't be true. Aizen did not harm fellow captains—especially not one who was his vice-captain's childhood friend. Matsumoto was wrong. There was no doubt she was wrong.

Leaving her internal world of denial, she looked at her blond companion with weary eyes. She was so tired… Her mind screamed, her heart screamed, and she screamed this inaudible scream. Nobody could hear. There was no other.

"Prove to me that Aizen hurt Hitsugaya-kun," Hinamori demanded shakily. There wasn't more, right? It wasn't possible that there was proof.

"Th—" Matsumoto froze for a moment before looking back, as if she'd just felt something, like spiritual energy maybe, in that direction. "Taicho!"

However, Hinamori couldn't feel anything. She had only Aizen in her mind right now, and a need to know what her captain had done.

The busty female nearly crashed out of the room in a rush, but Hinamori wasn't about to let her go just yet. "Wait! Prove it to me! Please!"

Matsumoto was willing to pause for a second. "Unohana-Taicho saw it all," she informed her, then disappeared in a shunpo.

And Hinamori had no idea how she was supposed to feel between the words. Unohana was a reliable source of information. That was one woman who didn't lie about things like that. So… Aizen had really been the one to nearly kill Hitsugaya… It wasn't Ichimaru… Somehow, it was like she'd known it all along, but could allow herself to abandon her dear captain's image. He had encouraged her, given her the will to become the person she was today. It was like betraying him.

_But it was Aizen that was betraying you all along,_ Hinamori remembered silently, sitting down in her place and pulling her knees up to her chest. _Tobiume, I don't understand anything anymore. It seems like everyone's hiding things from me—I even feel like I'm hiding things from myself…_

"_Because your heart is unsteady,"_ her companion explained wisely. "_You have admired Aizen for so long that believing in him has become natural, but there's no reason for this anymore. By believing in him, you hinder yourself so much as to need him to believe in you for your strength, but he is insignificant to your being. You'll find that even without him, there is strength in your veins—more than you realize._"

"I don't need Aizen-Taicho. I don't need him," Hinamori chanted to herself in assurance, for this time, she could hear Tobiume's voice clearly. She understood, but it wasn't easy to forget him.

"I don't…need Aizen-Taicho."

It was reluctant. No, she knew there was not time for hesitation anymore. If she had to destroy her bond with Aizen, she couldn't afford to stop and let her resolve fall.

"I-I don't need…Aizen."

And though she knew this, she didn't want to leave him. Hinamori still wanted to believe him, but if what Matsumoto said was true…

"I don't need him…"

Clearing her mind of all else, she could ask herself who in her life was most important?

"I don't need him…"

And she just knew. Hinamori could not side with the other.

"At…all…"

But it didn't hurt any less.

At first it was only a pathetic sob that burst from her chest that burst from her chest, yet the rest could not be held back. She covered her face with her hands, shaking uncontrollably, her heart letting out such a painful throbbing that everything vanished from her mind but this feeling. Shuddering, soft droplets leaked from her eyes as she fell onto her side. Hinamori's knees pulled in closer in an attempt to make herself even smaller, as if it would help her disappear.

She didn't want to live with this pain, but Hinamori knew she'd have to let go to start over again. Aizen was the one who'd betrayed her, and Aizen was the one who'd been simply using her for his plan. It had come from his mouth, not hers, and with the evidence in front of her, it wasn't wrong to believe in everyone else. Still, this wasn't at all what she wanted, and this decision was breaking her heart. Aizen couldn't keep this place in her soul any longer.

_Goodbye…_

-

Matsumoto couldn't fathom how her captain had escaped the fourth division under the watchful eye of Unohana _and _gotten to as far as Rukongai's first district. There was no doubt in her mind that he was cunning—oh ho! And he was definitely all kinds of cunning—but it seemed nearly impossible for him to have gotten out of Seritei without a warning. Hitsugaya was cunning all right, so cunning that even her measure of his cleverness had been an underestimation. She made a point to herself to never disregard her captain's brain again. The prodigy certainly did live up to his name.

As she leapt across several roofs, using shunpo when necessary, Matsumoto wondered whether her rather harsh confrontation with Hinamori had gotten the girl to finally change her views. If there was another captain Hinamori looked up to after Aizen, it was definitely Unohana Retsu. How that woman kept the eleventh division in line after all these years, Matsumoto would never know, but she certainly admired her for that achievement. She could see why Unohana was on such a high scale when pit against other captains.

She sighed as she neared the gates that led out of Seritei. Par of her felt guilty for not only shoving the truth at Hinamori, but slapping her as well. Before that, she had told herself that being soft-hearted would get her nowhere with her friend, and it was true by all means, except Matsumoto didn't like being cruel, especially to her friends. Hollows or Aizen—maybe even Gin, she could handle hurting. Friends, however, she couldn't bring herself to damage any further than she did today with Hinamori. Hopefully, _very_ hopefully, Hinamori would open her eyes to the world in front of her. Then she wouldn't have to raise her hand anymore. Captain's well being always came first.

Finally, Matsumoto stopped at the gate. "Open the gate!" she called to their keeper, Jidanbo.

"Name and rank, please," the giant boomed back.

"Matsumoto Rangiku, vice-captain of the tenth division," the busty lady stated quickly.

After a second, the gate was lifted open and she passed through with a flash. It dropped closed behind her and she turned to the large shinigami. "Jidanbo, has Hitsugaya-Taicho passed through the gate today?"

"No, Matsumoto-Fukutaicho. I also have strict orders to keep it closed if he or Hinamori-Fukutaicho ask me to open the gate," he replied diligently.

"Right, thanks," Matsumoto nodded and sped off in her captain's direction. His reiatsu was wavering, as if he was fighting an inner battle. This was getting dangerous.

So how the _heck_ had Hitsugaya gotten past the gates? She cursed his superior intelligence. He had probably been planning to escape since he woke up from his coma. Doing such stealthy work was not something you could do inside Soul Society for long unless it was premeditated. He could've simply blown a hole in the wall, but he would've been detected immediately. So how…

Her eyes widened as a thought hit her.

_Reiatsu manipulation,_ she realized, wanting to kick herself. Only Kidou masters could do it perfectly without leaving behind a trace of their own spiritual energy, but those with nearly perfect control of reiatsu could do it as well, though they would leave a touch of energy behind that could only be found if one concentrated hard.

_Sometimes I hate having a genius for a captain,_ Matsumoto mentally complained. _Taicho, you are so troublesome._

-

Kira was worried. It was something that was hardly deniable. He and Hisagi had left about five minutes ago, leaving Renji at the bar to take care of Rukia, and they were nearing the site Hitsugaya was at although it was still quite a distance. He was worried about what they might find there—Aizen, maybe? Or could it be his former lieutenant, Ichimaru Gin? Kira was wracking his brains for an answer, but he couldn't find one. It seemed like he could never find answers these days. All he could do was sit and wait like a useless child, and it was infuriating. He _wanted_ to do something, and the fact that he couldn't wasn't fair at all. After the day of the captain defect, his conscience had been killing him. There _had _to be something he could do to redeem himself.

Beside him, Hisagi was worrying just as much. It was easy to tell that the vice-captain was feeling anxious, and just then, Kira felt so overwhelming at fault that he wanted to crawl into a hole and die. He'd been selfish, so caught up in his own feelings that he hadn't even noticed the others' distress. Others had suffered just as much as him, and the guilt that was now crowding his conscience was the cause of his ignorance. It was a confusing cycle, but it appeared as though guilt was clouding his process of thought as well.

_I need to pay more attention to my friends…_

"We're getting close," Hisagi's voice broke into his train of thought, "be on your guard."

Kira nodded, but then noticed something strange. "Hey, there's something wrong with Hitsugaya-Taicho. His reiatsu keeps fluctuating."

"Almost there. Time to find o…"

The blonde stopped running when his friend's image faded away. "Hisagi? Hisagi!" he called out. Something awfully strange was going on. He could no longer feel reiatsu either, and the situation was making him nervous. "What the hell's going on?"

"Oi, Kira-kun! Why ya standing there all confused lookin'?"

_No, that's impossible!_ That voice, it was a voice Kira was very familiar with, though not one he'd been expecting to hear again for a long time. It was a voice that he hadn't been prepared to hear, a voice that, past the shock, caused him to confuse his emotions again. He wasn't exactly sure _what_ he was feeling.

"Yo! I'm talkin' to ya, Fukutaicho-kun!"

Kira turned his head, praying to the Soutaicho that his ears were lying…but then, if his ears were lying, why were his eyes telling him the same thing?

Standing in front of him was his silver-haired captain, fox-like eyes closed like always and the corners of his mouth turned up in his usual sly grin. It was like his captain hadn't even been gone a day. He looked exactly as he always did, and frankly, Kira was completely unsure as to what to make of it. The admiration he used to hold for Ichimaru Gin was now gone, and all respect for the man with it, but despite it all, he was lost without his captain, along with the rest of the third division.

"I-Ichimaru-Taicho!" Kira finally managed to gasp out in disbelief.

"Dat's right, Kira-kun! Finally recognize my existence?" the captain laughed cheekily.

The vice-captain closed his eyes for a minute. _Focus, Izuru, focus!_

"I'm sorry, Taicho, but you can't be real. There is…absolutely no way…" his voice trailed off.

"Mou, what about me, Izuru-kun?"

Something inside of him snapped. He was crazy. He was crazy. He was crazy. Only Hisagi should be with him, but he wasn't. The only person that _should _be with him had vanished. So, he was crazy, insane, and mad in the head. The betrayal had screwed up his brain.

That _had_ to be right, because Hinamori was nowhere near here, and she _was_ here. It made no sense. Two places at once? No, only Aizen could—hold on…

_I'm not crazy, insane, or mad. I am not. It's an illusion, all of it. Then… is Aizen in Soul Society?_

Kira was sure of himself now, but he had no idea how to break free of this image. He friend and his captain approached, both with the biggest of smiles on their faces. Cautiously, he drew Wabisuke for good measure and dropped into his battle stance.

"Heh, idiot."

The voice came from behind, but it was too late. The blade leaked through his back like water, then two more thrust into his stomach. Frozen in pain and shock, he coughed once lightly, blood trailing down from his mouth like a river before dribbling off his chin. And the pain…!

The person from behind him joined the other two, laughing and snickering as he always did. "Izuru, you moron! I can't believe you fell for that." The indignant tone in his voice was all too familiar to him. Too similar. Too exact.

"R-Renji—you…!" He coughed again, crimson bile clogging his throat. He remembered that it was all just an illusion, something fake, not real. And though he knew this, he couldn't help doubting. He couldn't help this feeling in his heart.

All of it was too real.

-

"Hmph," she snorted, dodging his icy blade as the land around them froze. Hitsugaya roared and slashed down at her, but she sidestepped it just in time.

He lunged forward, another slice, again and again and again, relentlessly. Each strike was dodged until finally he stopped, winded from his onslaught of attacks. Above him, one petal broke, leaving only four. The counters had shattered more quickly this time due to his reiatsu level and his body's injuries. Right now, it was impossible to keep his spiritual energy on high. Every time he looked at the Espada, he thought of her and couldn't focus for more than a few seconds. He was too worried, too nervous, too anxious.

"Oh, you're no big deal at all, Shirou-chan," it teased hauntingly.

The captain so badly wanted to slash the arrogant monster into icy pieces and destroy every ounce that was left of him, but he couldn't. Not while his enemy looked like he did. He knew his attacks had become rash and messy, and frustratingly, there was nothing he could do to calm himself. Anyone else he could be collected about, but Hinamori would always be a different story. He cared too much for her, and he would do anything to help or protect her. He himself didn't matter at all. So long as she was safe, he would be satisfied. Now, however, she was getting too close. She would be here any second.

A sword went through his stomach and Hitsugaya stumbled forward. He hadn't been paying attention. There was no focus in him.

"Taicho! No!" Matsumoto screamed as she just barely reached the scene.

"Tch, two more coming and I didn't feel either," his opponent mumbled under his breath.

He was immobile for a few moments, Matsumoto was here, but it wasn't her he needed to see.

Thankfully, Hinamori was faster.

He was her face, red and worried. Stupid girl. She'd been crying again, but she was okay, and that was all Hitsugaya needed to know.

"Don't cry, Bet-Wetter," he teased weakly.

In one swift movement, the tenth captain brought his zanpakutou over his head and thrust it into the hollow's face. With a roar, the Espada froze and fell into a million little shards.

He smirked as much as he could manage and pulled the sword from his stomach, then collapsed onto the ground, wings of ice shattering like his broken heart.

-

Momo was completely still, save for the movements of her chest as she breathed. She couldn't cry anymore. Tears did nothing, and she needed redemption. She'd been pathetic, like a little girl who had been parted from her absolute favourite doll. Stupid and selfish, the two words that probably described her the best. Why did she have to be so stubborn? She hated herself, hated herself more than she ever had in this life. She didn't even deserve to cry. She had hurt far too many people within her obsession to deserve anything good, but she was so tired too. There was nothing left in her that could defend her beloved captain in her heart. She was drained of him. She couldn't fight against the truth anymore.

A pulse. Hinamori shot up from her side as the pulse of reiatsu hit. The signature was all too familiar. It had been present nearly all her life. Before she had felt nothing. This time, however, she knew he was in danger.

_Shirou-chan's in trouble! I… can't wait here!_

Sniffling, Hinamori stumbled to her feet and grabbed Tobiume before dashing out the door. Flash after flash, barely able to see her surrounding. Within minutes, she reached the walls of Seritei, not even bothering with the gate because she knew after her trauma involving Aizen, they'd hardly let her off the radar so easily.

The Kidou master pressed her hand against the wall and began to rearrange the reiatsu sequence when she found that Hitsugaya had recently done the same ting. There wasn't much of his energy lingering left, but as she formed a door, she wiped his presence clean just to be safe.

An arch grew as the walls around it became thicker. Quickly, she stepped through and reversed it, taking one second more to make sure none of her own reiatsu had been left behind. It was flawless. She didn't give it a second though while she raced to Rukongai. Hinamori hurriedly searched for her cute childhood friend's reiatsu signature and suddenly realized that he was at their old house.

_Baa-chan…!_

She shunpo-ed to their old house as fast as she could, not stopping for even a moment, but when she got there, it was too late. A sword was through his stomach, Matsumoto was screaming, and it was she herself that was killing him. Hinamori was so horrified that she couldn't move. Words were stuck in her throat and they were suffocating her.

"Don't cry, Bed-Wetter,"

She almost didn't hear it, and she was still processing the words when her doppelganger was stabbed in the face. There was a smirk on his face when he pulled the weapon from his torso and he fell into a bloody heap. His vice-captain was by him in an instant, and Hinamori would've been if she could move her legs, but all she could remember was her Shirou-chan lying half-dead on the ground and that it was she that had caused it.

**

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Author's note: **I hope that was good. :) Sorry for any spelling or grammar errors too. I only skimmed it so…yeah. Good enough after the killer wait?

Chapter 10: A flashback (cuz I couldn't resist), a confrontation between captain and lieutenant, and finally a heart-to-heart between Hitsugaya and Hinamori.

I would strongly appreciate reviews. :)


	10. Courage

**Author's Note:** See? The update was faster...slightly. Hope you guys had a good summer. Mine was rather eventful, which left me less time to write, but no time for excuses! I scrapped the whole flashback in this chapter because I thought it'd be better without it, but it's still pretty long. I realize I've probably lost about all my readers by now too. xD Oh well, I must not give up. For those of you reading, enjoy the chapter. Previous reviewers, thanks a lot! You guys keep me going!

Unedited, by the way. xD

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**Perfect Timing** by HawkofNavarre

**Chapter 10 – _Courage_**

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Tired eyes met the night sky. Kira awoke with a dull humming in his head; sweat rolling down the sides of his brow and his heart pounding heavily in his chest. His mind was shaking as he sat up full of fear, seeing Hisagi lying beside him, unconscious. It was like waking up from a nightmare that was so frightening that it shouldn't have even been a nightmare in the first place. And it wasn't a nightmare, nor had it all been in his head. Everything had been far too vivid to be faked.

"Argh… Damn it…"

Kira turned his head, watching the other lieutenant groan painfully before rubbing his back and lifting himself up. Hisagi didn't look much better than what he thought _he_ himself looked like. He wanted to ask what his fellow vice-captain had seen, but his thoughts were too wrapped around in his memories of that foggy vision. Hinamori, Renji, and his captain. The feeling of their zanpakutous going through his body lingered and he felt more ill than he ever had.

"K-Kira… What…happened?" the tattooed male asked almost inaudibly.

"I…don't know," Kira replied, his voice straining.

"Did you see—"

"Yeah. It was too much."

He got to his feet, finally, struggling to lose the images plaguing his mind. There was shouting nearby, and distressing voice ringing through the air, filled with fright and panic. Helping Hisagi up, they quickly headed in the direction of the voice. It was after another second that he figured out who it actually was.

"TAICHO! You _stupid, stupid_ idiot! Why do you always have to _do_ these things?" Matsumoto shrieked, pressuring her captain's wound. She turned her head, tears streaking her face visibly. "Kira! Shuuhei! I need help! Hurry!"

"I-I'll get Unohana-Taicho!" Hisagi told him, reacting immediately. He wanted to keep his mind off the recent occurrence just as much as the blonde.

With his peripheral vision, he could see Hinamori. Kira had to wonder how she'd gotten here, but he didn't have time to question it. Right now, his little knowledge in healing arts was needed. Kneeling down nest to his fellow vice-captain, he hastily recalled his lessons from back at the academy. Pressing his hands against the bleeding injury, a soft green glow appeared beneath his palms. Although he was doing this, it wasn't doing much good. The wound was closing slowly—_very_ slowly. Kira cursed himself for nearly failing the healing class; he'd always been more talented in the usual destruction Kidou. It didn't look like he was going to get much help either. Matsumoto was way too worried to be using her reiatsu effectively and Hisagi had probably only gotten a butterfly to the fourth division. There was a high possibility that Hitsugaya would bleed out before help arrived in time.

"Let me help him," a small voice whispered. "I want to help him."

Kira almost lost control of the art when he heard her speak, thinking Hinamori had been frozen in place. He wasn't sure whether or not she was stable enough to heal the captain, but with her skill in Kidou, she was way more competent in the healing arts than himself. Hers would at least be more useful than his.

"Come on," he told her, gesturing to Hinamori to come, but she didn't move. Instead, she looked to the strawberry blonde.

"Matsumoto-san…?"

Matsumoto nodded immediately. "Help him. Just help him. I know he'd want it too."

-

Pain. Breaking. Dying.

_Is this all in my head?_

Again, the young male opened his eyes to a familiar room. There was no pain. He was numb as he silently gazed at the ceiling. White bed, white sky, white walls.

There was pain.

Hitsugaya found very little comfort in being back in the fourth division. There was even less of a comfort in having an annoying death butterfly hovering over his head, and the fact that there was a reiatsu nulling barrier in his room just downright pissed him off. Then again, he supposed it was reasonable that Unohana had stuck all these obstacles in his room after escaping so easily last time. It wasn't like he could do it again, so intensely drained of energy that he didn't even have enough to create a pathetic Bakudou.

"_This is what happens when you are reckless, Toushirou,"_

The voice echoed throughout the area. Alone, Hyourinmaru was quite open.

"Don't tell me that I'm a fool," the stubborn boy mumbled gruffly.

"_I did not intend to,"_ Hyourinmaru countered amusedly. "_Though you were reckless, it was the most entertaining thing I've seen in a long time."_

"So you're laughing at my suffering then," Hitsugaya muttered irritably.

"_You think so little of me, Toushirou. I was merely enjoying the struggle of your inner battle. It pleases me to know that my master is so powerful,"_ the dragon explained breezily.

A snicker. "You should know that flattery won't get you anywhere with me."

"_Indeed, it is known."_

"Then…?" the icy captain pushed slightly. "What exactly are you implying?"

"_You have always been clever. Perhaps you will figure it out without my help."_

"You're being serious then. You think I'm strong enough to master my Bankai," Hitsugaya realized in astonishment.

"_Strong enough, maybe, but you are still too young to contain the last stage of Bankai,"_ was the disappointed reply.

"Then why are you bringing this up?" he demanded in further annoyance.

"_There is a way you can—"_

"Taicho?"

Hyourinmaru snapped from his presence, and the boy captain was left more agitated than ever. He was exceptionally frustrated. Right now, all he wanted to know was the end of that sentence. It was important. He knew that sentence was going to be something important.

"Taichoooooo? You're not sleeping with your eyes open, are you?"

His blood was pulsing in rage. "MATSUMOTO!"

The vice-captain reeled back in surprise. "But Taicho, I haven't done anything yet!" she protested.

Hitsugaya could hardly do anything to her in the state, except possibly double her paperwork (which she wouldn't do in the first place, so there was really no point in doing so) or scold her for her impossibly bad timing. Neither of them satisfied him so he'd let it slide for now, but as soon as he was dismissed, he was giving all her sake top Kyoraku-Taicho. Without a doubt, the stuff would be downed in all but a few minutes.

A very long sight came from his mouth, releasing as much frustration and stress as he possibly could. Right now, he simply had to deal with her playfulness.

"What do you want?"

"Taicho! That's not how you treat a person!"

"Matsumoto, I know you well enough to see through such a façade," Hitsugaya told her knowingly.

Silence. He turned his head to see his lieutenant peering at the ground. So, there was something serious she had to say—probably about his behaviour a few days prior. This, he saw coming.

"If you have something to say, say it," the quarantined captain commanded.

She didn't begin right away, but he waited for her to prepare herself. If anything, she was going to confront him about his escape from the hospital. However, her downcast face seemed to contradict his thoughts. It looked more like she was going to cry than blow up at him.

"Taicho, why did you submit to that hollow? You're much stronger than that. I know it," Matsumoto declared quietly.

He was shocked at her question. This was something he hadn't intended to speak to about to anyone. Ever. Still, he trusted Matsumoto more than everyone else in Soul Society except Hinamori when it came to secrets. In fact, it was more like he owed her the truth. He couldn't ask for another vice-captain. She was loyal, trustworthy, strong, and everything else that came with being a lieutenant. Besides, she understood him and vice-versa when it came to feelings like these, so he wasn't sure why she was asking about this. It wasn't like he could hide it from her either. She'd been there, and though he wasn't sure exactly what she'd seen, he would tell her, but he would never admit his feelings about Hinamori—if there were any actual _feelings_ to admit.

"Taicho?"

"It wasn't an ordinary hollow," he began, looking back at the ceiling. "He said he was an Arrancar, a special kind hollow. His powers…they were like Aizen's. He showed me things I didn't want to see. He made me doubt myself. He saw into my soul.

She bit her lip, eying the wall as she though of what to say. However, there was not a reason to think since the words were on the tip of her tongue anyway. He could tell. He knew the precise words that she was going to use.

"They used Hinamori," she said, rubbing her temples warily, "and you couldn't fight her because you love—"

"Stop," Hitsugaya ordered harshly. "Matsumoto, I…"

"No, I understand. Taicho, you have to stop all of this. You have to start letting go," the strawberry blonde told him.

"I know."

And he did, but it didn't mean he wanted to. He couldn't think properly anymore. He still believed in her, but he felt betrayed and now he didn't trust his feelings when it came to her. He didn't know _how _he was supposed to feel.

"Taicho…"

The captain shot her a look, clearly one that said, "I don't want to talk about this."

"But—"

"Matsumoto, no."

He didn't like being this way with his vice-captain, but making him feel worse and more crappy about himself wasn't exactly what he needed right now. Hitsugaya just wanted everything to disappear because everything was so complicated, and he was tired of it all.

"Taicho," Matsumoto began carefully, "I'm sorry. You're my captain, but I can't do anything to help you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

"This is the path I chose, and I'm not going to regret it," he replied solemnly. "You have always been a good lieutenant, Matsumoto. You've always supported me, and for that, I'm grateful. You don't need to apologize."

He watched her press her forehead against the wall, shoulders shuddering softly as she cried to herself. Why she was crying and what she was thinking were unknown to him, and he didn't want to know. This was the last time he would let her cry. Too many tears had been shed because of him. He wouldn't hurt her anymore.

Hitsugaya was lost. Every piece of him was cracked and it seemed like he would fall apart any minute. When were things going to start getting better?

"When will this whole thing end?" she asked, still slumped against the wall.

"I don't know, but I want it to end just as much as you," he replied as he recalled Matsumoto's words. She shouldn't have apologized. She was the last person an apology should've come from.

_It's me who should be sorry._

-

Hinamori wasn't sure how she had become so stupid over the many, many years before this. Aizen, perhaps, had influenced her a lot, but she wasn't sure when exactly everyone else in her life had become so insignificant. To have her world revolve around Aizen seemed so impossible now, like she would've never done such a thing in the first place, but it was only yesterday that she decided to leave that desperate part of herself behind. She wanted to be strong, make it seem like Aizen didn't matter at all. Maybe, though, he didn't have to matter. It was her mind that made him so superior that way. However, she had committed herself to protecting her childhood friend, so Aizen simply _couldn't_ matter anymore. Shirou-chan had always protected her, no doubt, and it was only fair that she do the same for him.

Actually…she wondered whether Hitsugaya had become a shinigami solely for the purpose of protecting her. When she had joined the academy, he'd always insulted the fact that she attended it, and yet he'd entered the school years later anyway. The year he _had_ entered, she'd just left the academy and was delighted to find her acceptance into the Fifth Division. After that, Hinamori was so focused on becoming useful to her captain that she'd barely paid attention to him. It was shameful. She had to make up for her past actions. Hitsugaya had worked so hard for her, and she wasn't going to just throw that away. She'd become strong for him, and not for Aizen.

"Bankai," she whispered to herself as she picked up Tobiume and left her room. "That's the first thing, Tobiume, but I have to see him first. I have to let him know that I'm sorry."

Hinamori let her legs carry her to the Fourth Division barracks, thinking about the first time she had seen Shirou-chan's Bankai. It was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. Never had it crossed her mind until that moment that the boy she lived with as a child could be so powerful.

She remembered the frozen air ripping across her face, a chill seeping down her spine and the cold choking her. Reiatsu had stained the atmosphere in the form of snow and it was hard to catch her breath.

And Hitsugaya…

He had been in the sky, floating above her with glistening wings of ice and his power was the only thing she could feel.

Hinamori sighed to herself. She needed to see him, and she needed to see him now. He'd done so much for her—too much—and she hadn't appreciated it even once. She was an unworthy ingrate. Stupid. Pitiful.

The young shinigami shook her head at her thoughts. Now wasn't the time to be putting herself down. If she felt sad and dejected, it wouldn't help anyone.

She saw Unohana gliding down the corridor in all her graciousness. That woman was always around when you need her. Hinamori wondered if she had some sort of secret ability that allowed her to see into the minds of others.

"Unohana-Taicho," the vice-captain greeted, bowing respectfully.

"Ah, Hinamori-Fukutaicho. Are you feeling better?" asked the eternally smiling healer. "I hope you've healed well."

She got the hint. "I have, thank you. Matsumoto-san helped a lot."

"I would hope so," Unohana replied gently. "Are you here to see Hitsugaya-Taicho?"

Hinamori nodded shyly, remembering what had happened the last time she had been in his room. She'd never cause something like that to happen ever again. Right now was the time to fix things, and she had to start with her childhood companion.

"Please be careful, Hinamori-Fukutaicho. Seated unit, room 54."

And with that, the bun-haired lieutenant was left alone in the hall to search for the room that held her Shirou-chan. She looked through the room numbers hastily until she found the right one and almost knocked on the door, but stopped herself.

Suddenly, she felt extremely nervous, especially since she noticed that the door was slightly ajar already. Standing there completely unprepared was like standing in the middle of a crowd without any clothes. What was she going to say to him? "I'm stupid and a really bad friend who used to be obsessed with her captain—you know, the one that was branded a traitor, manager to turn me against you, and then ended up putting you in a coma? Yeah, that's the one! Sorry 'bout that!" just didn't seem to cut it. Furthermore, Matsumoto was probably in the room, and Hinamori wasn't exactly in the strawberry-blonde's good books at present time.

She then knew that even though the words she would say to him were totally unplanned, she had to get in there right now or she would let fear devour her and run away. The courage to face him was shrinking—shrinking fast, but she couldn't just leave. If she backed out now, she would _never_ forgive herself. That would be worse than anything she had done thus far.

Hinamori reached out to the door, trying her hardest to stop trembling and quaking like a frightened puppy. She disregarded the doubt in her heart, pushing open to the other side.

"Hinamori-san…" Matsumoto gasped, blinking in surprise. There wasn't any contempt in the woman's voice, and it was something the other vice-captain was grateful for.

"I…um, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she stated timidly, looking from Matsumoto to the boy lying on the bed. His eyes were closed, though Hinamori couldn't be sure whether he was sleeping or just thinking.

"No, you're not," the busty blonde waved her off.

"May I see Hitsugaya-kun…alone…?" She swallowed. Here was the moment of truth.

There was a tired look upon the taller female's face. She closed her eyes for a second, lifting her chin into the air and taking in a deep breath. Matsumoto exhaled and the Kidou Master silently wished she could do the same, feeling the breath stuck in her throat. She was too afraid. Getting into this room had already taken so much effort. Then, finally, Matsumoto's eyes fell back onto her.

"Can I trust you to be alone with him?"

"I—what?" Hinamori spluttered nervously. She hadn't really expected _that_. After the display of distress, she was anticipating more of a verbal explosion because of what had happened last time. Instead, the caring woman was offering her a chance to win back her trust. She couldn't afford to screw this up.

"You know what happened last time, what you _caused_ last time. So can I _trust_ you to be alone with him?" Matsumoto asked again.

The younger vice-captain nodded confidently. "I won't let you down again, Matsumoto-san."

"Alright," was the quiet response she received as the Tenth's second seat brushed by her, exiting and closing the door.

The room was then silent, almost deafeningly so. Hitsugaya was most likely sleeping, thank the Soutaicho, so she had time to think of what she would say. It wasn't as though she had nothing to say to him, because she had _everything_ to say to him. She simply had no idea how to start. She was the one who had probably caused him the most pain. A hollow had stabbed the captain, a hollow that had used her appearance to get to her childhood friend. Her heart lurched. Hinamori had disregarded his care for her, and all because of Aizen. Despicable. No more stupid mistakes. No more.

"Are you ever going to say anything?"

Hinamori jumped like she'd bean pricked with a needle, panic causing her heart to palpitate rapidly. Taking a few seconds to settle herself, she turned to face the source of the shock. "Mou, Shirou-chan! That was mean! I didn't know you were awake!"

She couldn't really tell from where the outburst had come from, but it was definitely a natural reflex. She also knew that she didn't really have the right to speak like that and had ended up covering her mouth to stop herself from saying anything else.

"You were standing there doing nothing," Hitsugaya pointed out indifferently.

The girl kept her mouth covered. There had to be a good way to respond. There just _had_ to be. She anxiously removed her hand from her mouth.

"A—…" Okay, so now her vocal chords were dead. Boy, she was lucky. Wait, she was just that much of a coward. Her voice seemed to be fine.

Hinamori closed her eyes for an instant, gathering herself. "Shirou-chan, you know before I entered the academy, when we were still living with Baa-chan…? Have I…changed since then?"

Silence. She opened her eyes.

"I have, haven't I?" I turned into a person that cared more about her captain than anyone. I became obsessed with a person that didn't exist and you protected me. I was in my own world, so why did do those things?" she asked slowly.

"Hinamori…"

"I know I've hurt you, Shirou-chan, so I don't see why I deserve your protection—or why you should even be my friend anymore. I did so many foolish things that I'll never be able to take back. I don't see why I deserve—"

"It's never been about what you deserve, Bed-Wetter, and if you don't believe that, then you're stupider than I thought," he interjected in his usual manner.

"Shirou-chan…" she murmured at his comment.

He turned his head to look at her and his eyes locked with hers. The young shinigami was frozen in his icy gaze, unable to look away although fear touched every part of her mind. "Help me sit up."

Hinamori nodded reluctantly, almost mechanically moving to his side. Time was moving too fast—or too slow. She wasn't sure. He was in this room, she was in this room. Everything else was irrelevant.

She watched him wince as he sat upright and let the fault sink into her, tugging at her heart. Her stomach twisted sickly with the knowledge of his pain and the quiet became unbearable. She knew he wouldn't have asked for help unless he was totally incapable of doing it by himself. She couldn't even stand to think anymore.

"Hinamori, my actions have never reflected what you deserve, and frankly, I don't give a damn about what you _do_ deserve. I protect you because…because…" He faltered. The next words were important. Hinamori had the feeling that she knew what he wanted to say, but she needed to hear him say it.

"Tell me, Shirou-chan, and tell me the truth, please," the dark-eyed vice-captain begged, the need to know tearing at her.

His face was suddenly completely red as he looked away from her pleading gaze. Hitsugaya had lost his composure! It was true the boy was shy, but turning a colour that even strawberries would be jealous of was a bit much…

"I care, Hinamori," he replied to her astonishment, though his voice grew lower with the next words, "and I need you."

She had no idea whether or not she was supposed to have heard that last line or not, but the first two words had been enough to make her feel like her life as a shinigami was worth living after all. Her selfishness seemed like it had been washed away and the desire to help him as much as he'd helped her was all she felt she wanted to do.

"I'm grateful… and I'm—"

"Don't bother apologizing," he dismissed carelessly. "I did what I wanted."

Hinamori blinked once, twice, then three times. A smile spread across her face. For the first time in centuries, she felt free. "You've grown so much, Hitsugaya-kun. You might be taller than me soon."

He snickered, though the room had become just a little warmer. "Tch. Maybe I've grown, but you're still just a bed-wetter."

**

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Author's Note: **What?! He's grown?! Yes, the hint that the romance is coming. :P Anyway, chapter 11 is in the works (I wrote 15 pages three weeks ago and scrapped it all because I hated it.) I'll try not to take forever again, but no promises. xD

Chapter 11: The next, a possibly last, arc starts in this chapter. Hinamori begins her redemption and the romance _really_ begins!

Please review! Constructive criticism is always appreciated, as well as feedback. :D


	11. Destined

**Author's Note:** I just finished my exams! Oh, I'm so relieved. I have returned with a new chapter! Unfortunately, it's probably not what you're all hoping for, but we're getting somewhere.

Thanks to all who reviewed! I don't know if any of you are still there, but I've continued for you guys, so thank you for staying with me. I can't guarantee any quick updates, but I'll get things done. I promise.

I realized after looking at my chapters again, that Fanfiction's ruined my separators! As such, I will just be using their lines to indicate sections, and for now, I'm too lazy to go back and fix all the chapters, so please bear with it.

Enjoy the chapter! (Edited, amazingly. I know, I'm shocked at myself too.)

Constructive criticism as well as feedback is always appreciated!

* * *

**Perfect Timing **by HawkofNavarre

**Chapter 11 – _Destined_**

* * *

"Again."

The blade swung past her as she dodged it stealthily. Hinamori launched herself forward, slicing at her opponent. Tobiume was blocked and the sword's wielder was kicked in the stomach. She slid back, sandals scraping against the turf and gasping as the wind was knocked out of her. There was no time to rest, another attacked falling straight onto her. Unable to regain her footing, she fell on her back, only having enough time to counter the attack by holding up Tobiume. She felt the pressure on her arms as her enemy pressed the strength out of her body.

Hinamori searched frantically for options, spotting the opponent's ankle wide open. Mustering all her power, she let out a scream of effort as she slammed her foot into his leg. The attacker grunted in pain and stumbled back, giving the vice-captain a few seconds to get to her feet. She flash-stepped to his side, ready to slash out his flank, but a hand gripped her arms and she was thrown to the ground roughly.

She was _so sore_, still forcing herself to try and get to her feet. Hinamori froze, cold metal against her neck, then winced when her hand was pressure open by the foot of her enemy. Tobiume fell out of her grasp and she knew she'd lost again.

The other shinigami let her up. She took a deep breath and weakly stood up. Exhaustion was taking over. Nevertheless, the bun-haired female picked up her zanpakutou and lowered herself into battle stance.

"Again."

With a flash-step, her opponent was behind her. Hinamori struck behind her, but was shocked when the other blade clashed against hers so hard that Tobiume flew from her hand. The tip of the other sword suddenly threatened the skin on her neck once again before it was taken away and sheathed.

"Hinamori, I think we should take a break. You're too tired," Renji suggested.

She shook her head, picking up Tobiume. "No, again."

The redhead groaned. "Don't push yourself. It's not doing you any good."

"I guess you're right…" Hinamori admitted, relaxing as she sunk to the ground. "I'm sorry for being so stubborn. I just want to get stronger so much."

"Hey, I'm happy to help. It's good to see you so alive again. After all, you're the one that helped me pass Kidou class," he told her gratefully, chuckling all the while as he sat down beside her.

Hinamori responded with a grin. "You always were the most amusing guy in the class, Renji."

"I didn't _ask_ to be blown up."

"You didn't, but that never stopped you."

Renji sent her an innocuous glare and Hinamori burst out in a fit of giggles. Content washed over the short shinigami, glad that she was finally able to just talk or hang around with friends again. It had been such a long time. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd just sat down and _talked_ with Renji or Kira. Trying to impress Aizen had really taken a chunk out of her life. Now, though, now she felt so _free._ There was nobody she needed to please. Besides, she could handle the division just fine on her own. Everything was looking good.

"Hey, Hinamori…" Renji began, breaking the silence.

"Hm?"

"You're…childhood friends with Hitsugaya-Taicho, right?" he asked softly, the boy fiddling with his hakama in distress.

"Yes, though I know I haven't been very good to him lately," the female told her companion with a sigh.

Renji nodded in comprehension. "Have you ever, uh, though of being more than just friends?" the hotheaded shinigami inquired nervously.

"Wha—what do you mean?" she shot back, unable to fully process exactly what he had asked.

"I mean have you ever thought about being _together_ with him…?" he elaborated, gesturing lightly with his hand.

Hinamori considered this, finally realizing the question that had exited his mouth. The whole thing had actually caught her way off guard, really. The astonishment she'd felt when first hearing the question was well deserved, because not only had she never thought about her and Hitsugaya being "more than friends", but it had never even crossed her mind that her Shirou-chan might one day be _dating._ The thought was completely and utterly terrifying! Except…she wasn't sure what the terrifying part _was_—the idea of him dating girls or the idea of him dating _her_? It was possible that he was already dating even, seeing as she hadn't been able to visit him in the last two weeks, due to her cluttered schedule between training and getting the division in order. Hitsugaya certainly wouldn't have a hard time find a girl to go out with. He already had his own fan club _and_ had been featured in the last issue of the _Shinigami Monthly_. In fact, it would be more shocking if girls weren't falling all over her childhood friend. Though still quite young, he was definitely easy on the eyes.

Her Shirou-chan was _easy on the eyes?_ Oh Soutaicho, how was it even possible for her to be thinking about her childhood friend that way? Renji's question was so…well, she would have though it highly inappropriate if they weren't such close friends, but friends talked about this kind of stuff, which was less comforting than it should've been. Hinamori had never even gone close in thinking about her and Hitsugaya being a couple. She supposed she might have considered it, had she not been so obsessed with her captain before, or maybe not, as the silver-haired shinigami was so young still.

Then again, most girls her age (or what was the equivalent of her age in human years) were already fantasizing their dream wedding with some sort of perfect guy, and as creeped out as she was with thinking about it, Hitsugaya was probably the groom in the dreams of half of Seritei's female population. If she couldn't imagine her Shirou-chan with other girls, how could she imagine _herself_ with him? It was virtually impossible.

"Hinamori?" Renji called, nudging her with his elbow.

"No, I actually haven't," she answered reluctantly, and then suddenly a change of thought hit her hard. "Is this about Kuchiki-san at all?"

"…Maybe." Hinamori shot him a look. "…Yes."

"You've always liked her, Renji-kun. I could tell. So why is this coming up now?" she interrogated him in curiosity.

"It's true, I've had feeling for her since we were kids," the tall male conceded. "I tried by best to get her attention all the time, but it's never worked. In fact, I'd given up entirely when she was adopted by the Kuchiki family. I mean, _I_ especially couldn't court a noble—being from the lowest district—and I wanted her to be happy, so what could I do?"

The lieutenant nodded in understanding. She'd seen the longing in Renji's eyes whenever their group was around Rukia. There was no doubt that the small shinigami meant a great deal to him.

He continued. "I stayed away from Rukia and I could bury my feelings, but when the whole ryoka invasion and captain thing broke out, I felt _close _to her again, and everything I worked to cover just resurfaced. I'm pretty sure she has a thing for Kurosaki though." Renji paused, seeing her puzzled face. "He's the orange-haired ryoka. Anyway, since then, I can't stop myself from thinking, 'could we be together?' We're childhood friends. We know everything about each other, but despite all that's happened, do we have a chance?"

"Renji-kun, every couple has a chance, but does she feel the same way as you feel for her? I don't think a relationship can work if there's no mutual feeling," Hinamori explained sensibly.

He snickered and shook his head. "Bah, you're repeating the basics!"

"Are you insulting my knowledge?" she asked, mock taking offence.

"No, it's good advice, but I could've gone to anyone to get that answer!" the redhead teased lightly. "I'm not done yet. Rukia and I have always—or at least _used to_—be like brother and sister. Do you think that could ever change?"

Hinamori then understood why he had brought this topic up with _her_, specifically. She and Hitsugaya were childhood friends, just like Rukia and Renji. They had grown up like a brother and sister, siblings. She certain wasn't much for incestuous relationships, and that was for sure. Renji wasn't thinking about that, right? Was he thinking that growing up together would make the relationship he hoped for totally impossible? His train of thought wasn't completely off track. It would probably be too awkward for some to change the sibling connection into one lovers shared.

Finally, she decided on what to say. "I think it could change if both of you were attracted to each other. Feelings can change over time, and everybody feels differently. I don't think you should give up. Things could still work for you."

Renji looked as if he were about to laugh, but he didn't seem very happy. "Not with Kurosaki in the picture."

She blinked. "Well, you never know until you try."

"Nah, I won't get my hopes too high. Kurosaki's a pretty decent guy."

"So you wouldn't mind losing Kuchiki to this guy?" she inquired.

"I guess not, if I _have_ to lose her," he replied, shrugging apathetically. "So how about you and Hitsugaya-Taicho? If he were taller, you two would really look like a couple.

Hinamori blushed at the comment, though slipped passed it slyly. "Mou, Hitsugaya-kun wouldn't be very happy if he heard you say that."

"You're changing the topic, so you must feel something for him."

"We've only just gotten past my problem with Aizen! That-that's not really something to be considered!"

The impulsive lieutenant laughed at his friend, poking at her. "Is it embarrassing to think about it?"

"Of course it is! I grew up with Hitsugaya-kun!" she answered stubbornly.

"That doesn't mean anything. Like you said, things can change," Renji retorted, using her advice to tease her.

"But neither of us have those feelings for each other!" the bun-haired female denied uncomfortably. Renji and Kuchiki were one thing. She didn't really like it when her own love life was in question.

"'Neither of us'?" Renji snickered. "Ha, with Hitsugaya-Taicho being as protective of you as he is, I really doubt that."

"A sibling bond!" Hinamori cried.

"Or a secret one-sided love," he shot back reasonably.

She shook her head, no way. "It's not like that."

"What if it is?" the taller shinigami questioned her. "The things he does for you can be read either way. Maybe you're right—you could be—but so could I."

Renji was shockingly correct, which was a little unusual for a guy whose mouth moved faster than his brain. This was about _love_ too. He was the last guy in Soul Society Hinamori expected to know about these kinds of things. Then again, she hadn't had a real conversation with him or Kira in the longest time. Renji's words were a real possibility, one that she couldn't deny.

"When...exactly did you start thinking like a girl?" she joked lightly, and her training buddy suddenly looked like he'd sniffed a puddle of sour milk.

"I _do not_ think like a girl!" Renji exploded defensively. "I think like a man! I_ am_ a man! I'm manly! Yeah, I like hot chicks and sex! Sex, sex, sex! Uh huh, that's all I think about 'cause I think like a man!"

"Mou, you don't have to worry about your reputation around me," she giggled at his frenetic outburst. "Besides, I was only kidding."

His back slumped in resignation. "I can't help it. It's a reflex. And _I don't_ think like a girl."

"Okay, I believe you."

"Good, 'cause I'm not saying that again," the redhead told her rashly as he got to his feet. "Anyway, it's about time that I got back to the division. Time to yell at another bunch of newbies for Kuchiki-Taicho."

"I'll see you soon then?"

"Yeah, I couldn't let you train by yourself. Later," Renji waved as he left in a flash step.

She couldn't seem to shake the strange thoughts from her head. Renji and Rukia she could understand. It wasn't surprising or remotely shocking to hear that the sixth division's vice-captain was crushing on his childhood friend. On the other hand, Hinamori had never imagined that she and Hitsugaya _could_ be together. The fact seemed to defy the rules of love so easily that it was almost scary.

But anyway, she had to set her mind straight. What exactly did she think about Hitsugaya Toushirou, captain of the tenth division and wielder of the most powerful ice zanpakutou in Soul Society?

Well, for starters, he was stubborn in that cute way that she learned to love when they were years younger. The young captain often had refused to be wrong over the most trivial things. Of course, being a genius, he wasn't wrong all that frequently. He also never gave up at something until he could no longer try to achieve it. Stubbornness was one of his best qualities.

Hitsugaya was also almost disgustingly over-protective. She knew it, he knew it, Matsumoto knew it, and so did everybody else in Seritei. As kids, he'd scare anyone that got too close so that if she ever tried to talk to one of his victims, they would run from her immediately. Since she'd joined the academy, the silver-haired shinigami had toned it down, though not as much as she liked. Hinamori knew he wouldn't become less protective until she actually proved herself to _him_ and not Aizen. Needless to say, even if she _did _become significantly stronger, he would still feel the need to protect her.

He was quiet, which kind of tied in with shy and not good with people. Hitsugaya hated talking unless it was with a close friend, and even then he wouldn't share most of his thoughts. In a first impression, he would always seem cold-hearted and cruel, but it was just a facade, mostly used because while he wasn't _good_ with people, he didn't like a lot of them either.

The one thing anyone could tell right away was that the short captain was deep and passionate. He never tried to show it, nor did he probably associate these qualities with his personality, but there was no doubt that he was these things. Whether it be at his job or fighting for a friend, there was so much emotion behind it that everyone could feel it. This was the part of him that brought people to him, though he was never slightly congenial to strangers or approachable at first sight.

Momo knew she loved her Shirou-chan, but maybe not in the way she thought she'd loved Aizen. The bun-haired girl didn't and wouldn't obsess over her childhood friend because these feelings were at least true. The real question lingered in her mind.

Aizen had left her. He was no longer in her life as he was before and she had survived it. He had been her vision of love, admittedly, and Hinamori had always believed that she would break down forever without him. Instead, she'd recovered, with a _lot_ of help, so could she do the same if Hitsugaya were no longer present in her life?

She sat in the empty training ground for several minutes just thinking about her complicated mess of feelings, even while her body ached for a hot bath and a soft futon.

_Life without Shirou-chan..._

Maybe when she only had one person in mind, she could've done it, but that wasn't who she was or who she ever aspired to be. Hinamori had rediscovered herself, and this girl knew who was important for her.

So if she was being honest, imagining life without her Shirou-chan was impossible. She loved him, definitely. She just wasn't sure what kind it was.

* * *

He was finally able to escape his office, which had basically turned into a disturbingly large monument of paperwork while he'd been absent. Matsumoto had even done her share this time, and there were still never-ending stacks of due sheets that were piled high enough to almost double his height. Well, he was now nearing five feet tall. Just a few more inches would give him claim to another foot, and he was more excited about that than anything since obtaining Bankai (which was honestly a little depressing). Hitsugaya wasn't about to tell anyone that, but it really did make him feel better after sitting around and completing hundreds of sheets in six hours. People would stop thinking he was such a child after he grew!

_At least my office is clean now..._he thought to himself, except the thought sounded just as pathetic as it seemed to him.

The growing male sighed at himself and entered the only area on Tenth Division grounds that had a pond. He really loved this place. Nobody, except Matsumoto with an important issue, would disrupt his time in this peaceful sanctuary. Hyourinmaru seemed especially calm here as well.

Hitsugaya sat down in front of the pond and crossed his arms, closing his eyes in meditation. However, he found himself unable to clear his mind of his long-time companion. It wasn't something that was unusual, since everything about her kept appearing in his thoughts frequently. He had to concede, for a short while he had disliked her for what she'd let happen to herself, but he could never stop himself from caring for her. Hinamori had definitely caused him pain in the past, though his feelings for her always overruled whatever damage she had dealt him. He was just glad she'd returned to the Bed-Wetter that she was.

He _loved_ her, and not just as his friend. Although he was young, it hadn't been hard to figure this out with him being a genius and all. He wasn't even sure when it had crossed the line of caring to best friends to real, heart-warming love. It seemed more like the feeling bad been there since forever.

Ugh, he sounded disgusting in his own head. He was teetering on the edge of _actually_ feeling sick from his own crappy thoughts of _feelings_. Bah, sentiment. It was for—for...

The short (but now tall_er_) captain didn't even have an end to that sentence. Emotions never made you weaker, and he knew that. Perhaps they could render a person quite useless in battle, but they certainly didn't weaken you. If anything, they made you stronger.

Emotion had helped Hitsugaya develop his powers, but there was a good and bad side to everything, and the bad side to being in love? It was with his childhood friend and it was hard to stop thinking about her. He didn't _want_ to feel this way! He was too young for this. He almost held resentment toward her for being able to make him fall in love.

"_So you are finally admitting it,_" the ice dragon regarded his thoughts.

"I didn't ask for this, but what happened, happened. I can't change that," Hitsugaya replied, arms crossed stubbornly. "She was in love with Aizen."

"_It bothers you,_" Hyourinmaru deduced with ease.

"...Whatever. I'm not looking for something mutual," the captain said. "It's not something I expect."

"_Yet you hope in the deepest parts of your soul that it is you she will choose in the future_."

Stupid Hyourinmaru seriously knew him too well. "How much of a blessing would it be if I could control my own feelings?" Hitsugaya hissed in frustration.

"_It appears that I say too much,_" the dragon mused apologetically. "_Still, I would like to hear what you will do_."

"Nothing! And I _have_ done nothing for many years."

"_You may lose her._"

"She's better off without me."

"_You do not believe that._"

"I don't, but she can't be with me in that way."

"_And why not? You are not the only one who feels._"

"You're just speculating now," the boy huffed indignantly, knowing what his spirit was referring to. "Exactly how much proof do you have?"

His closest companion laughed, something that had been happening far too often lately, and it was specifically at him. "_What proof do I need, Toushirou? You would easily take your own life if it would save her. There is no doubt that she would do the same for you._"

Hitsugaya grimaced. Lately, he was being shown up by his zanpakutou in every fight—this one included. When had the truth started taking sides? It wasn't fair. He couldn't fight against something as undeniable as the truth.

"I don't see why you need to keep bothering me about this," he breathed, trying to be indifferent again.

"_It is simple. The more you run away from your problems, the longer you will suffer. Running changes nothing, Toushirou,_" was the wise response.

"Yeah, but it certainly makes things easier," the captain muttered tiredly.

"_Don't be a fool. You gain nothing from running. As time passes, you can only lose. I do not think that is what you want,_" Hyourinmaru stated logically.

"Why should it matter what _I_ want?" the sword wielder sneered. "It never has."

"_It matters, Toushirou, because you are one who deserves happiness, and I shall not remain idle while it slips away."_

It was almost annoying that Hitsugaya's dragon was being so considerate, possibly because achieving happiness had something to do with Hinamori, who was basically the last person he wanted to deal with right now. The spirit kept pushing him when he didn't want to be pushed.

"I'd rather not talk about this anymore," Hitsugaya growled irritably. He dug through his mind for something to change the topic to and came up with something almost immediately. "Hey, when I was recovering at the Fourth Division, you were going to tell me something, but Matsumoto came in before you could finish. What was it?"

Apparently, the ice spirit was finally done torturing him with his love life and ran with the topic. "_Ah, so you remember. What else do you recall of this?_"

The shinigami captain paused to think about it before concluding, "It had something to do with my Bankai," he replied thoughtfully, "something to do with mastering it."

"_Indeed,_" Hyourinmaru confirmed. "_You are now at the stage where you are strong enough to master the Bankai. However, your body is too young and it is unable to harness the amount of reiatsu required for the final stages of this power."_

"And? There must be some reason why you're telling me this," the silver-haired boy said, growing impatient with his zanpakutou's evasion.

"_There is a way to master it now. You will not be able to use this form when you obtain it, but it will enhance your abilities further. It shall enable you to stay in your current Bankai form until you are out of reiatsu and everything will require less spiritual energy for you to use. Unfortunately, it will likely be at least five years before you are capable of using this form,_" the ice dragon explained.

"Good enough for me. How do I obtain the final form?" Hitsugaya asked, now back to his usual demeanour. He desperately wanted to be stronger because he'd been cut down so often in the last while. It made him feel incompetent and unfit for his position in the Gotei 13.

"_Only one thing is needed,_" his friend began mysteriously, "_and it is not easily found._"

The genius resisted the urge to roll his closed eyes. "Get on with it already!"

"_To obtain master form, you require the assistance of one with perfect control of their reiatsu._"

It suddenly became clear to Hitsugaya why his spirit was only bringing this up now. The situation he was currently in only made it more convenient. In his ears rang the wicked cackling of his so-called companion, who the teenager now thought was more of a sadist than anything.

He opened his eyes and stood up, arms at his sides and fists clenched. As his temper rose, so did his reiatsu, and he could barely contain his anger as his surroundings developed a beautiful coating of frost.

That bastard...! There was only one person in _all_ of Seritei with perfect control of reiatsu...

...and, damn it, he was in love with her.


	12. Advance

**Author's Note:** Oh my gosh, I FINALLY FINISHED THE CHAPTER. I was actually surprised by the results of this one. I didn't think I'd get so steamed about this one, but it was pretty productive! On another note, I'm going to be pretty slow at updating because I'm working on another story as well, but after one whole year of no updates, I'd be surprised if you guys just stopped reading after a month of nothing. xD Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, by the way. Appreciate the support!

**I've replaced the author's note with the _actual_ Chapter 11, just so you know. You should probably read that before this one if you haven't already!**

Any constructive criticism and feedback is always appreciated. Enjoy.

* * *

**Perfect Timing** by HawkofNavarre

**Chapter 12 – **_**Advance

* * *

**_

He was beginning to think that someone out there found his suffering amusing. It just _never ended. _He would've thought that after all the pain he'd been through, all the psychological torture he'd been through, and the hardships of things he'd had to face lately, Hyourinmaru would have a little more compassion. Fortunately, he knew better that his damned dragon was the sickest and most sadistic spirit that ever existed. Therefore, it really hadn't come as a surprise that the annoying lizard (yes, _lizard_, because Hitsugaya refused to believe that any dragon could stoop so low) had something else up his sleeve. It didn't make the captain like it any better though.

Hitsugaya was at his desk just thinking. You could never have enough time to sort through conflicting emotions. His chin sat in his palm, elbow against the table top as he glared at the wall. Bah, dealing with stuff was so troublesome. Sure, if it was some dispute within his squad, he could fix it no problem, but matters of the Hinamori variety gave him all sorts of difficulties. He was absolutely hopeless when it came to that girl—she was his only weakness, and that was scary.

"Taichoooo! I'm bored!"

His glare at the wall only worsened in his frustration with himself. People were always the weakness, and that was one thing Aizen had good. The deceiver cared for nobody but himself, and that was the root of his evil. Being apathetic, however, to everyone around you meant that you didn't get into situations like Hitsugaya's. He envied the asshole for it.

"Taicho, why are you glaring at the wall?"

That wasn't the only thing Aizen had that he envied. Like any other regular person, he wished that his feelings were reciprocated and it made him depressed to know that they were not. In any case, he wanted to at least be her trusted friend again. He wasn't sure if he was old enough to actually love someone so much that he didn't want live without her. Regardless, that was how he felt.

"Taicho had a secret love affair with Kurotsuchi-Taicho!"

Hitsugaya could've sworn that a vein popped up on his forehead. "_Matsumoto,_" he growled shortly.

The big-breasted blonde smiled in accomplishment. "I finally got you to back to reality!"

"I wasn't _out_ of it," the icy shinigami retorted in annoyance. "I was just ignoring you."

She huffed at him indignantly. "You know, for a kid, you sure are mean."

"What can I say? You bring out the best in me," he grunted, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Mou, Taicho, you're _extra_ mean today," Matsumoto whined dramatically.

"No, I just have no patience for your idiocy today," he explained with a sigh. There was so much thinking going on with how he was supposed to approach this problem regarding his Bankai. He had been restless during nights over this issue of which there had been quite many. The shinigami didn't know if it was better to continue torturing himself over such a thing or just to suck it up and get it over with.

Hitsugaya had contemplated the idea that his zanpakutou's spirit had lied to him, but the ice prince didn't believe the dragon would sink so low as to deceive him with something of such significance. Bankai _was_ a big deal. _Power_ was a big deal. He needed to help to end this war.

Why did it always have to be Hinamori though? Every time he found a comfortable niche for their relationship, something or some_one_ would just destroy it instantly. He was so sick of being ruined. How many more times would he have to fix something he'd already patched? How many more times could he stand to fix it?

It wasn't like Matsumoto was very helpful. She was a great vice-captain, definitely, but she was just as meddlesome as Hyourinmaru and the captain didn't appreciate being pushed into situations with his childhood friend when they had been falsely created. He remembered the time Matsumoto had locked him in a closet with Hinamori a couple years ago. Of course, it was a rather weak ploy against two soul reapers and Hitsugaya had blasted open the door with a simple Kidou spell, but the whole thing still irritated him because he did not enjoy being manipulated.

…Not that it mattered. He was getting forced into things regardless of whether Matsumoto was being meddlesome or not.

However, if he was being forced into something, he figured he might as well get over such a situation as early as possible. At least Hyourinmaru actually had a good reward in exchange for his treachery. His busty Fukutaicho was only capable of placing him in dumb, shallow scenarios. Hitsugaya was sure that the woman had been reading too much shoujo manga from the _Seireitei Love_ magazine.

The strawberry blonde's huff of indignation brought him back to the outside world. "You really _are_ mean today."

Sighing, he rose from his seat irritably, glaring at the woman although he reasoned that doing so wasn't worth his energy. It never was anyway. He was about to strap Hyourinmaru on his back when he heard a startled gasp.

"What _now_?" he asked in exasperation, folding his arms.

"Your—your cloak… It doesn't fit!"

Raising an eyebrow, Hitsugaya looked lazily down at himself, seeing his haori falling higher on is legs than it usually did, and now that he thought of it, the fabric across his back felt much more confining than it had before. Had he really outgrown his cloak? His shihakushou allowed a lot of room for growth, so if he really _were _growing this quickly, he really wouldn't notice as it was easy to overlook the changes. He'd known he was growing vertically, but his build was increasing too? He…really _was_ growing!

"Finally," he muttered mostly to himself.

"Oh, my little Taicho is growing up! I—I…I just don't know what to do!"

He snickered at her antics and began picking up his zanpakutou again when a hand gripped his wrist. The assailant was the only other person in the room, and though the woman was someone he was really close to, he didn't see why she had any right to dictate his actions.

"Taicho, you can't…" Matsumoto began seriously. "You can't go out with that tiny little haori on you! It's _tacky!_"

The silver-haired shinigami stared at her in absolute disbelief. "_What?_"

"_Tacky!_" she repeated as she pulled on the garment. "Take it off and give it to me. I'll go get you made a bigger one."

"You're joking, right?"

"Give it! Come on, Taicho, I wanna help you in your first step into adulthood!"

"…_Adulthood?_"

"Give it here!"

"You've got to be kidding."

"_TAICHO!_"

"Fine! Just take it then!"

Hitsugaya disdainfully tore off his captain's haori and threw it at her in frustration. His lieutenant was exceptionally gifted in getting on his nerves. Strapping on Hyourinmaru, the boy turned to the door and escaped the room, no longer wanting to deal with the persistent lady.

Gah, where was he headed again? Right, to the Fifth Division's barracks where he was going to ask for Hinamori's assistance in mastering Bankai. It was like ripping off a band-aid.

The nervousness was sinking in like the claws of a cat. He really hadn't seen her since…that time… And since that time, he had admitted to himself that he was in love with her, but right now…after everything that had happened, to be with her was the last thing he could hope for.

* * *

"We cannot assign a new captain for your squad, and during this time, there are no likely candidates for the sport. As such, I am entrusting the responsibility of the Fifth Division to you, Hinamori-Fukutaicho, until we can find an appropriate captain to take the spot. You will be in direct coordination with the Tenth Division in regards to missions. Hitsugaya-Taicho will approve any missions you wish to give to your subordinates," Yamamoto told her.

"I will lead the squad to the best of my ability, Yamamoto-Soutaicho," Hinamori responded seriously, hiding the shock she was feeling inside. Certainly, she was the only shinigami left in Soul Society besides the First Division's captain who was a master in Kidou, but to be entrusted with the jobs a captain was meant to have was a rather large honour. After all the crappy things she'd done recently, it was astonishing that the most powerful soul reaper would trust her with such an important task.

"However," the old man started, planting a nervous feeling in the young female's chest, "before you are officially give charge of this, you must prove yourself as a true shinigami of the Gotei 13. You are to destroy Aizen Sousuke's room in its entirety. I want to see if you have truly let go, Hinamori-Fukutaicho."

"Of course, Soutaicho. I will prove my loyalty to the Gotei 13!" she spoke confidently, though she felt like vomiting at the job she was about to do. If there was ever a place Hinamori never wanted to return to, it was that wretched room—the room she'd been in the night before everything started and the morning where the world she'd believed in disintegrated in front of her.

The bearded man nodded at her. "Dismissed. Go, prove yourself."

Hinamori bowed politely and exited the large meeting room, a death butterfly fluttering into place next to her as soon as she passed the doors. Undoubtedly, the little reiatsu creature was there to monitor her and pass on any important information on to the Soutaicho, specifically if she did anything suspicious or couldn't carry out the job. The lieutenant hardly had such an intention. She would go to Aizen's old room and destroy everything as she was told.

Damn, now if it were only that easy.

The bun-haired shinigami saw no rush in getting to the room. It might be a good idea if she actually were void of all the emotions she used to have for her ex-captain, but still they lingered. Even though she understood that the man she had so admired was nothing more than an illusion, it was hard to forget about him and more than difficult to forget how he made her feel. The Aizen she knew was so kind and gentle, yet powerful and inspiring all at once. How was she just supposed to ignore the man she knew to be the real occupant of that room?

She had to be prepared. Still walking, Hinamori felt more determined than ever to be free of her Aizen-Taicho, but it was just so damn _hard_. The one she admired never truly existed, but despite this, he would always exist to her. She didn't know how to change that, even while she understood that Aizen Sousuke was an evil, traitorous bastard whose only concern was strictly for himself.

Those were the kind of thoughts she had to focus on, although the Kidou master continued to doubt her resolve. She wanted to do this so badly, but she wasn't strong enough. Only a few weeks ago she'd had an intense battle with _herself_. Hinamori was tired of inner conflicts.

Even while the door to Aizen's room appeared to be right in front of her, she wanted to collapse into tears because she couldn't _do_ this. It was too scary and too reminiscent of the nightmarish past she was still trying to beat. How could she possibly face this? _How?_

_This is as prepared as I'll ever be,_ Hinamori thought anxiously, sliding open the unsealed door. Her heart pounded rapidly as she stood facing the desk he had been writing on that night…the one he'd been writing the letter on—

—the letter that had turned her against her best friend.

If there were one initial emotion Hinamori hadn't expected to feel, she would have chosen anger. She had never been angry in that room before and it a _room_ was certainly unlikely to evoke such an emotion this time around, but right now, she remembered who her captain really was, and anger just didn't quite cut it.

It was more like blind rage.

She clenched her fists as she stepped solidly into the captain's quarters, her nails digging dangerously into her skin. Her face was solemn as her legs moved forward once again. "You were such a good actor, Aizen-Taicho," the seething vice-captain whispered into the empty room. "You really had me back then. I was so sold on you."

Hinamori reached the desk, already stripped of all belongings, and placed her hands on the back of the wooden chair that went with it. "I was willing to do anything for you. _Anything_. But all you did was use me without a care," she hissed quietly, her voice now growing louder. "I left my friends for you. I dedicated my _whole life_ to you, and you _wanted_ me to so that I could be your pawn."

She clutched the chair harder, both hands on it now as her reiatsu rose rapidly. Her fingers pierced the chair as she grasped it with even more strength before the whole thing burst into a pile of splinters.

"_YOU RUINED MY LIFE!"_ she screamed furiously, bringing her elbow down against the table and striking it in half. Hinamori grabbed onto one side, tossed it into the air and demolished it with a reiatsu-charged fist. The other side was ruthlessly smashed against a wall before the girl headed into his sleeping chambers. Aizen's futon lay neatly on the floor and she briefly wondered how many nights he had lay there scheming and if he ever once felt remorse for the way he manipulated the people around him.

No, there was no possible way for _Aizen Sousuke_ to ever feel guilt. He had shown her that when he tried to kill her. All he was was an insane psychopath with selfish intentions who would do anything to get his way. The image of he who had inspired her was ridiculous, because now Hinamori could see that every word and every move was simply a calculation that was used to get to the answer, the one that was needed to figure out the question but would be scratched out once the problem was solved.

A white surge of hot fury coursed through her body. _I matter. If I'm a pawn, then I'll become a queen._

Next time, _she_ would be in control.

With a roar, Hinamori savagely tore through the sheets of the bed, ripping and tearing until only scraps of cloth remained. She shredded the futon with her nails, knocked a cleared dresser into planks, and shattered everything until it was rubble. As the Kidou master lay in the remains of the objects, she realized that her face felt wet and cold. What took a little longer to process was the fact that she was crying and that she didn't know where the tears were coming from.

The lieutenant panted as she stared at the ceiling, the droplets rolling down her cheeks. Absently, she rolled onto her side and curled into a fetal position, her body now wracked with sobs. She wept quietly as emotion swept over her. She'd lost friends, time, and, most importantly, herself trying to reach a goal that never could have been met. She'd lost her captain—the kindest, most soft-hearted man she thought she had. She'd lost her credibility, only ever listening to her immediate superior and his words instead of thinking for herself. She'd lost a fraction of her afterlife because he used her, all of which now felt utterly useless when she looked at herself. The worst thing was that she was the one who fell for it all, and maybe Aizen could be blamed for some of it, but she could really only blame herself for being so incredibly stupid.

It was hilarious. All of it.

Hinamori splayed her body out on the floor again, laughter bubbling at her throat. It was just so funny because everything that actually _mattered _to her was worse off than they had been when she started out to achieve that impossible goal. The only thing that didn't apply to this was her strength, though looking at what Aizen did to her, that too was a joke. She hadn't even noticed when he tried to murder her! It was freaking _HILARIOUS_! Her whole career had been a joke!

Sobering, Hinamori got to her feet and wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve. He wasn't going to win. She wasn't going to be his toy anymore, and she wasn't going to blindly grasp on to that image of the perfect captain for one more minute. She let go of that man in the weeks past in order to fix the pieces of Hitsugaya she had created long ago, but this time, it was going to be to save herself. This time, she wasn't letting go; she was going to destroy this man.

The dark-haired girl was long since past the point of using names and incantations. She raised an arm in from of her, hand up as her flat palm was directed at the wall. Never again would Aizen be her captain, comrade, or the person she admired—not even that image she had of him after that academy mission had gone wrong. It was just another part of her life that made her want to be stronger now, for her friends and for herself. Aizen-Taicho was dead to her.

So she blasted everything to oblivion.

* * *

Hitsugaya's brow creased in concern as he searched around for his childhood friend's reiatsu. What was _worrying_ him was the fact that he couldn't detect it at all! What purpose did she have hiding it and where in Seireitei had she gone? He tensed, a lump in his throat as he considered the possibilities.

What is she'd left to go join Aizen?

The captain angrily shook his head at the thought, ashamed that his mind had even jumped directly to that. She was completely repentant for all the things she'd done on her former captain's behalf and Hitsugaya had faith that she was never going back. He could believe in her now. He could believe that what she was doing at that moment wasn't a betrayal to him or the Gotei 13 or her friends.

He was going to trust her.

Hitsugaya tried her room, but nobody answered. He wracked his brain for locations she frequented, coming up empty on those too. For once in his life, her being a Kidou master was probably the most annoying thing. He didn't find people any other way, and Hinamori's was either gone or completely hidden. No, not gone. He refused to entertain the possibility that she was dead. Of course not. He would know about it.

Suddenly, some barrelled into his side, cause him to nearly fall over. The captain stumbled in shock, regaining his footing after a moment, only to realize that the figure that had just tackled him was his childhood friend. She was hugging him tightly, her arms around his neck as he began to blush profusely.

"H-Hinamori, what are you doing?" Hitsugaya asked, still very much shaken from the shock she had just put him through. It wasn't often that he couldn't feel a signature coming at him, and he was now extremely uncomfortable and tense. Things like this didn't happen every day. The shinigami desperately hoped that she wasn't losing her mind again.

Hinamori released her hold on him and bowed apologetically. A smile adorned her face, a smile that looked so free and so real today. "Sorry, Hitsugaya-kun. I'm just very happy."

He cocked an eyebrow as he crossed his arms, wondering exactly what had come over her. There was something different about her today, he concluded, though he couldn't put his finger on exactly what. She seemed so light-hearted now, so content and so cheerful. The Fifth's lieutenant seemed like she had been released from all the burdens of their world.

And, oh, Soutaicho, she had never looked so beautiful.

The boy flushed darkly as he shifted his eyes elsewhere. It'd been so long since he had gotten this feeling from her, and it was so reminiscent of their best days together. There was nothing conflicting within her, no chaos, free of turmoil and guilt…

She was free of Aizen.

Hitsugaya had never thought, admittedly, that she would be able to do it, but the way she was now told him a completely different story. She let go of him before, but now it seemed that the bastard was just a part of her past that she learned from. She had finally done it. The chains that used to bind her were gone now.

"You… Are you…?" he spluttered in utter shock.

"Yeah," Hinamori replied gently before she grabbed his hand abruptly, giving him little time to process this revelation. Perhaps he was a genius, but this whole thing had shut off his brain temporarily. She broke out into a run, pulling him along without much though. "Ne, Shirou-chan, don't make me drag you all the way."

The silver-haired captain blinked as he gave little resistance to her actions and followed her willingly. With one last playful grin, Hinamori released his hand and shunpo-ed away. Quickly, he raced after her in wonder of where she was leading him. She obviously hadn't gone crazy, but this wasn't common for her either. He let a smirk creep onto his face as he kept a steady pace to keep up with her.

She was playing for the first time in decades. He wanted to play too.

The vice-captain was skilled in eluding him, changing her direction constantly, leading the ice-user around in circles. They'd left Seireitei several minutes ago and were playing cat and mouse all over Rukongai. He could feel her again, more prominently than usual, as if she was baiting him. He was taking it without much debate.

Everything was always so serious, forcing him to be mature and ethical, but this…was just a game, and _man_ was it fun. Right now, he was allowed to abandon reason and just play with his best friend.

It was then that he'd found that Hinamori had stopped. Hitsugaya mimicked her as she grinned at him in her place in the air. A second later, she appeared next to him, still facing opposite from him with her shoulder brushing his. It was silent as they stood, frozen.

"Shirou-chan," she whispered, "thank you for everything."

The captain struggled to breathe as his heart palpitated wildly. "For what?" With much effort, he turned his neck to look at her, but she continued to gaze ahead, the corner of her mouth raised mysteriously. Hinamori stepped forward and placed herself behind him. His eyes widened when lips touched his cheek, though only for the briefest of moments before she was gone again.

It took three seconds for him to regain any coherency in his head and five seconds to launch after her. She was less evasive this time, letting him know that she obviously had a location in mind.

He found her at a stall in District 43, ordering something from the owner. The green-eyed shinigami approached the place casually, knowing she wouldn't run anymore. He sat down next to her on the stool, both keeping their heads directed forward. The friendly owner gave him a warm look as she placed a plate of watermelon slices in front of them with an "Enjoy!"

Hinamori immediately picked on up and took a bite out of it. "Eat some."

He obliged, glad to have watermelons back in his life. It had been _years_ since his last slice. Hitsugaya bit into the fruit and savoured the taste gratefully. "It's good," he commented softly.

"Mmhm," she agreed, swallowing her food. He waited for her to say something more, which she clearly wanted to, and sat patiently, enjoying his fruit. Finally, she spoke again. "Thank you, Hitsugaya-kun. Because of you, I remember what it's like to be myself."

"Don't be stupid, Bed Wetter. You did that on your own," he replied in his honest opinion.

"No, it _is_ because of you. Everything is because of you! I'm…happy again…because of you," she admitted quietly.

For the hundredth time that day, he blushed hotly at her proclamation. "…Fine. If that's what you think…"

It remained quiet between them as the world around them went on. It was a comfortable silence, one that could only be shared between two people who had lived together for years. Her eyes connected with his then, giving him a mischievous smile. "By the way, Shirou-kun, where's your haori? Did you get demoted or something?"

Hitsugaya groaned and placed a palm on his face, mentally cursing Matsumoto. He didn't answer and instead muttered, "It's Hitsugaya-_Taicho_, stupid."


End file.
